


Diamonds in the Rough

by Ruunkur



Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Frontier
Genre: ALLL the rare pairings, F/F, F/M, Lengths vary wildly between one-shots, M/M, Rare Pairings, TW on chapters that are applicable to have TW, Will be updated as I add more~
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-06-21 04:05:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 51
Words: 49,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15549222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: A series of One-shots based around rare, crack, random, and/or off the wall pairings!All chapters will be marked with their pairing and the category that it follows.





	1. Taichi/Takeru(Funny)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so each pairing will have between one and three fics for them:
> 
> Funny/Crack  
> Serious  
> Sappy/Happy
> 
> All chapters will be marked with their pairing and the category for it. You're always welcome to suggest pairings in the comments. I'm looking for rare pairs, off the wall in the Adventure seasons specifically. Idea started in the Digimon Discord I'm part of. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Fried Zucchini recipe in ch one: Slices of zucchini dipped in egg, dipped in flour, fried in oil, then taken off once cooked on both sides and add soy sauce to your liking!
> 
> None of these are edited beyond checking for spelling errors.

Takeru swung the back of his feet against the cabinet underneath, watching Taich throw a frazzled glare his way. The man ran a hand through his hair, catching on the edge of his goggles before he took them off, throwing them onto the table in almost disgust.

"That look that you're giving me, the one of total judgement?" He said, turning his gaze back to the food on the stove. Takeru arched an eyebrow, offering Taichi a look of innocence. He saw Taichi roll his eyes, slipping off the counter and taking a step towards him.

"I'm surprised that you offered to cook for everyone." His voice was full of innocence, his fingers lingering just above the nap of Taichi's neck. "Normally, you try to avoid cooking."

"Normally-" Taichi rolled his eyes, moving away from Takeru and offering him a hard stare. "Normally, you try to get me to avoid cooking."

Takeru let out a laugh, moving to sit back up on the counter as Taichi flipped over the piece of zucchini that he was frying. "I like when you make this."

Taichi gave him a low hum in the back of his throat, Takeru reaching over and stealing a piece of zucchini. Taichi only let out a sigh, glancing away.

"So..." Takeru gave Taichi a hard stare as the man ran his hand through his hair once more. "What has you so worked up?"

"Who says I'm worked up?" Taichi shot Takeru a hard stare, swatting his hand away as he tried to reach for another piece of fried zucchini.

Takeru let out a small hum, as if he had to consider the question that Taichi placed before him. "You don't cook fried foods unless you're stressed. And you aren't stressed unless you're worked up about something. Work has been going fine, there hasn't been much to disrupt home life so... The only that's left is the impending visit from our family."

"Well, I didn't exactly tell Hikari that you would be here." Taichi pointed out, flipping over another piece. He watched as Takeru reached out, drawing his hand back as the oil sizzled, splashing up and catching his arm.

Takeru ran a hand through his hair, half of it stickng up from how he had slept. "I didn't tell Yamato either." He pointed out. Taichi set the fork down, walking over to Takeru and resting a hand on his knee. Takeru looked at him, reaching out and placing a hand on Taichi's hair, flattening it out.

"Mmm, well, I suppose we could tell them today." Takeru said happily, moving to kiss his boyfriend. Taichi let out a choking sound at the suggestion, pulling away with wide eyes.

"Oh god, he's going to kill me." He began to run his fingers through his hair, Takeru resting a hand on his shoulder.

Takeru laughed, rolling his eyes. "I think he can expect me to make my own choices, don't you think?"

Taichi paused, looking up at Takeru before shaking his head. "He's going to kill me."

Takeru let out a sigh, sliding off the counter and walking over to Taichi. He rested a hand on Taichi's shoulder, steering him towards the food. "You're going to burn the zucchini if you aren't careful."

Taichi glanced from Takeru to the food, picking up his fork once more and flipping a piece. He felt Takeru's hand linger on his shoulder before he pulled away, winking at the man.

"You can worry about my brother, I'm going to take a shower. Enjoy!"

"Oi! Don't use all the hot water!" Taichi called after him, turning his attention to the zucchini. He pulled the ones that were done out of the pan, placing in more oil before laying the zucchini down. He weighed Takeru's words as he finished up frying the slices, placing them on the table as the doorbell rang.

He wiped his hands on his pants, stepping towards the door and smiling at Hikari when he saw it was her. "How's my favorite sister?" He asked, catching her into a hug.

"I'm well, yourself?" She laughed, stepping out of Taichi's grasp when she let go. He smiled, his gaze darting towards the table.

"Doing pretty good, lunch is about ready, we're just waiting for Yamato I suppose." Taichi glanced over his shoulder when he heard the water turn off, Hikari raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't realize he would be joining us today."

Taichi let out a small, nervous laugh. "Yeah, I didn't either but...unexpected circumstances, right?"

Hikari raised an eyebrow, Taichi gesturing towards the table. "Who...else is joining us?" She said, noting the setting of four.

"Er, well, uhm..." Taichi trailed off as Takeru breezed out of the bathroom, offering Hikari a wave.

"I invited Yamato over for the day, didn't realize you would be here as well! Isn't that just perfect?" Takeru asked, Taichi rolling his eyes as the blonde stepped up to his shoulder, resting a hand on it. Hikari's gaze darted between the two, her eyebrow slowly inching up her face.

Taichi stepped towards the door as there was a knock, running a hand over his face as he answered.

"Taichi, that's unexpected," Yamato glanced over his shoulder, his gaze landing on Takeru.

"I suppose this would have saved us gas if we had just gone with each other." Hikari sighed, Taichi picking up on the phrasing.

"Yeah.... But..." Yamago frowned, his gaze darting between Takeru and Taichi as he narrowed his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Are you two dating?" Taichi asked, turning his gaze between his sister and Yamato. "This is the guy you've been dating the past two years?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you never told me?" Taichi asked, a hurt expression crossing his face.

Hikari grimaced, "I knew you would react badly."

"Me, react badly? Never! Just, you're dating my best friend? Fuck, my best friend is _dating_ my little sister?" Taichi turned, his eyes wide as he looked at Yamato with what could only be considered hurt. "How could you _not_ tell me!"

"Me? What the hell is Takeru doing here?" Yamato demanded, stepping forward and narrowing his gaze.

"Oh, that one's simple! Taichi and I have been dating for the past three years." Takeru gaze Taichi and Yamato a serene smile, the older brothers looking at each other with what could only be considered death stares. Hikari opened her mouth before she stepped to the side, resting a hand on Takeru's arm.

"Should we eat while they yell it out?" She suggested, voice soft as the two began to start in on each other.

"Honestly, you think they would have figured it out a year ago." Takeru sighed, pursing his lips and shaking his head.

"How have you and Taichi been?" Hikari asked, taking a seat at the table. Takeru brought over the water, the two chatting and eating the zucchini while Taichi and Yamato yelled at each other in circles.


	2. Taichi/Takeru(Serious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've been him around campus a couple of times, and you helped him one night. Why, though, does he haunt your dreams?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Self harm, suicide mentions, character death, alcohol mentionings
> 
> Whoop, this is why we have three categories for fics. Hope you enjoy!

"Yagami!"

The man turned when he heard his name, tilting his head as he squinted down the pathway. He caught sight of the young man that was running his way, offering him a half wave.

"What can I do for you Takaishi?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that there was no one else around. It was early morning, the time where hardly anyone stirred. It was about the only time he could catch some peace and quiet. The blond smiled, easily regaining his breath as he stopped next to Taichi.

"I wanted to thank you,"

"Thank me?" Taichi arched an eyebrow as he studied the blond. They went to the same college, though Taichi was several years older than him. He remembered meeting him at a party, several weeks ago. He had thought Takaishi elegant, though he still seemed to hold on to some sort of boyish charm and clumsiness. Certainly the dark haired beauty he had come with was more Taichi's type, but something about the blond haired man...

Takaishi nodded, seeming to grow flustered. "At the party, you were..." He ran a hand over his face, seemingly embarrassed. Taichi waited, patiently. "You know, I'm just gonna..."

"No, wait." Taichi reached out, catching Takeru's wrist in his own. He remembered that he had taken Takeru back to his dorm, when his friend had been nowhere to be seen, when he had seemed to drunk to stand on his own. "I never got a chance to make sure you were okay. Are you okay?"

The blond seemed to hesitate before he shook his head very, very slowly. "It's nothing the star football player has to worry about though," he says quickly. Taichi picked up on the pace of words, wondering what made it feel as if he was saying his last goodbyes. He tugged Takaishi closer, pulling a pen out of his pocket with his free hand.

He set the pen to Takaishi's skin, glancing up at him. "If you need anything," he spoke as he wrote, "don't hesitate to call or text me. I have practices on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, with a game coming up in two weeks, so I may not be able to get back to you right away. But..." He hesitated, watching Takaishi's wide eyes.

"You don't know me," he protested, voice seeming to waver.

Taichi let out a shrug, dropping the blond's wrist. He didn't comment on the fact that he was wearing a long sleeved jacket when it was nearly the end of spring. "Just, if you need anything, don't hesitate to text, okay? I can't promise to always be around, but I'll be able to answer you within a couple of hours at the latest."

Takaishi swallowed, his eyes wide as he glanced at the number on his palm. He gave Taichi a nod, the man putting the pen away and smiled. "Call me Taichi," he added.

"I-, what?" Takaishi frowned.

"My first name is Taichi, what's yours?" He asked.

"Takeru," he stammered over his own name, ducking his head. "Thank you."

Taichi watched the boy retreat from the spot. He watched for another few minutes before he headed towards the little cafe, grabbing a drink and sitting across from Daisuke.

"What do you know of a Takaishi Takeru?"

Daisuke frowned when Taichi sat down, his eyes narrowing at the sound of the name. "I think he's one of Ken's friends. Blond, doesn't talk much. Taking the writing course, why do you ask?"

Taichi took in the information, nodding to himself. "I ran into him in the courtyard is all," he mused.

"He's on the basketball team," Daisuke offered. "I think, or he tried out anyway. Like I said, he's Ken's friend. How'd you meet him in the first place?"

Taichi raised an eyebrow. "Upperclassmen party, I believe our dear friend Ken left him to the sharks." He watched Daisuke roll his eyes, sitting back in his chair as he raised his tea to his lips. "Just saying, he was pretty hammered and I helped him to his dorm room. I know you and Ken are a thing, but if he brings people to parties, he should at least make sure they get back home, don't you think?"

Daisuke let out a sigh. "I'll talk to him about it."

Taichi nodded, glancing down at his phone as he heard it buzz. He read through the text from Mimi, shaking his head as the girl prattled about anything and everything she could think of. "Do you know anything else about Takeru?"

"Hmm?" Daisuke looked up from his school work at the question. "Not that I can say, he just started hanging out with Ken recently. Not good company for him to keep, probably."

"Is Ken good company for anyone to keep?" Taichi shot back, Daisuke letting out a snort. "Just keep an eye on him, for me, okay?"

"Yes sir," Daisuke offered Taichi a small salute, Taichi returning his gaze to the texts that Mimi had sent, preparing himself for a long, one sided conversation.

***

It was nearly three weeks later when Taichi received the text from the unknown number. He set his drink aside as he looked up from his homework, grabbing the phone and reading over the message in confusion.

_do you ever wonder whats beyond the stars?_

Taichi hesitated, looking at the text before glancing at his homework.

_i suppose its nothing_   
_whos this_

He set his phone back down, returning to the essay before him. It was several minutes before he received the next text, Taichi happily abandoning his homework in lieu of the mysterious figure.

_my brother wanted to know what it was like beyond the stars_   
_this is takaishi_

Taichi nodded to himself, relaxing when the name came up.

_im in the school cafe, wanna come over?_

He leaned back in his chair, playing with his phone for several minutes before the answer returned.

_sure_

He cleared half of his stuff off the table, setting it in one of the empty chairs around him. It was early enough that few people were out, Taichi finding that he preferred the early morning hours compared to the busier parts of the days. He didn't have to wait long for Takeru to appear, the blond setting a bag down and taking an empty seat across from Taichi.

"Morning," Taichi said with a smile, Takeru glancing up at him, a cup of something hot occupying the space between his hands.

"Morning,"

Taichi looked up when he heard the roughness of Takeru's voice. He studied the young man, setting his pen down and leaning back in his chair. "You look like shit," he commented.

Takeru opened his mouth, eyes flashing before he glanced away. "Suppose I didn't get a lot of sleep, last night." He shrugged. "It happens sometimes, ya know?"

Taichi nodded, taking in the haggard appearance of Takeru. Thinking back, every time he had crossed paths with the blond -even if they didn't exchange words, Taichi was well aware of his presence- he had the look of one who hardly slept. "Is something on your mind to be causing you disturbances of sleep?"

Takeru shifted before he nodded, dropping his gaze to his cup. "I suppose you could call it that."

Taichi nodded, taking his own drink and sipping on it thoughtfully. The pair sat in silence, Taichi occasionally glancing up at Takeru, studying the way he sat with his shoulders slumped forward, his gaze downward and locked on his cup.

"Did someone die?"

Takeru looked startled by the question, his gaze snapping up to Taichi. He slowly nodded his head, Taichi setting his cup down.

"I lost my sister to an accident, four years ago. Drunk driver hit her while she was out. Died on scene." Taichi grimaced as he spoke, closing his eyes. He had been the one to find her, they had been out in the middle of nowhere, visiting family and Hikari had gone on a walk.

"My brother," Takeru swallowed as he spoke, fingers tightening around the cup. "I... It was suicide."

Taichi nodded, reaching across the table and resting a hand on Takeru's wrist. "Hey, if there is anything you need," he murmured, voice low, "let me know, okay?" Takeru met his gaze, swallowing hard. Taichi took a moment to appreciate the open honesty in his eyes, even as his voice wavered.

"Why?"

Taichi sat back, scratching his ear at the question before he shrugged. "I know what it's like to lose someone. The abyss someone can fall into after losing a sibling is even worse. Sure, you can act like you're okay, put on a mask. People will accept it, it's part of grieving. But inside, you're falling apart and nothing is okay. You can put yourself together, piece by piece, but it hurts to look at the picture as a whole." Taichi nearly choked on his words, taking a breath to steady himself. "Also, stay away from Ken. He's not good for you."

Takeru cracked a smile at the last statement, lifting a hand to wipe away the tears that had started to form. "Ken and I have been friends for a long time. We even used to date."

"Then you know all about him?" Taichi raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"Yeah," Takeru promised. "Thank you," he said with a soft laugh.

"What are friends for?" Taichi cracked a smile, feeling the rest of his grief wash away as Takeru nodded at him.

"Don't suppose you would want to go out for dinner?" The blond asked, Taichi blinking at him. He watched him flush, opening his mouth to try and protest before Taichi smirked at him.

"Do you plan to pay?"

Takeru paused, considering the question before he nodded. "Only if you agree to the date." He said with a wink.

"I suppose I can take schedule it in." Taichi joked. "How about this Friday, seven pm?"

Takeru considered it, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Can we make it six? I have an early morning the next day."

Taichi nodded, winking at him as he stood and gathered his stuff. "It's a date then!" He grinned, watching as Takeru flushed bright red, opening his mouth. Taichi took a step forward, resting a hand on Takeru's shoulder. He leaned down, taking the chance to kiss the boy.

"And if you need anything, let me know." He murmured in Takeru's ear, taking a step back and humming as he headed off to his first class. It was days like this that made him wonder why he had never been an early morning person when he was younger, despite the grief that often came to him when he watched the sky lighten and the sun rise.


	3. Taichi/Takeru(Happy/Sappy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was a bright light when you were younger, when did you fall for him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some sappiness. Hope you enjoy!

Takeru leaned against the counter as his gaze tracked Taichi across the apartment, the man running a hand through his hair as he muttered to himself. It was nearly four in the morning, the both of them not steady on their feet as they had been earlier that night.

"Looking for something?"

Taichi whirled as if he had forgotten that Takeru was there, sheepishly running a hand through his hair. He was disheveled, his jacket unbuttoned and his shirt halfway untucked. Takeru raised an eyebrow, watching as Taichi glanced from side to side.

"Yeah, have you seen..." He trailed off, spotting his goggles dangling from Takeru's neck. Takeru lifted a hand to the goggles, tugging on them.

"These?" He asked, a sly smile crossing his face.

Taichi nodded, "can I get them back?"

Takeru considered the question, a smirk crossing his features. "What do you want to do for them back?" He asked. "You made me promise to keep them safe for you last night!"

"Come on, I need them." Taichi took a step towards the blond, Takeru reaching out to steady him. They had met halfway, Taichi blinking as he swayed on his feet.

Takeru took him in, letting out a low laugh. "Oh, you are far from needing them. How much did you drink last night?"

Taichi considered the question, shaking his head. "I was keeping up with your brother."

"Yamato drinks like a fish and hardly gets buzzed. Trying to keep up with him is like trying to keep up with a digimon eating." Takeru took Taichi's hand, guiding him towards the bedroom. He nudged it open, confirming that it was empty before he deposited the man on it. Taichi caught his wrist, meeting his eyes.

"I'm not drunk," he swore, meeting Takeru's gaze. Takeru looked down at him, shaking his head and lightly pulling on his wrist.

"Why do I have your goggles then?" He asked.

"Safe keeping," Taichi mumbled, closing his eyes. "Come on TK, come to bed with me."

Takeru cocked an eyebrow at the use of his childhood nickname, Taichi's fingers gripping his wrist almost painfully. He shook his head, meetig the sleep addled gaze of the other man. "What do I get out of it if I go to bed with you?"

Taichi blinked up at him, considering the question before offering him a lazy grin. "A knight for your nightmares?"

Takeru rolled his eyes, tugging hon his wrist once more. "Come on, let me go."

Taichi let out a sigh, dropping Takeru's wrist. "I've always been jealous of you and Hikari." He sits up as he speaks, his gaze steady as he watched the blond.

Takeru looked at him, startled by the statement. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he had grown a second head or if Taichi was truly talking to him about this _right_ now. "What about us?"

Taichi paused, beckoning for Takeru to come sit next to him. Takeru hesitated before he did, drawing his legs up and tucking them against his chest, back to the wall as Taichi sat next to him. "You're easy relationship," he admits, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, hell, Yamato would kill me if he knew I had a crush on you-"

Takeru let out a low hum as Taichi cut himself off, growing flustered. They were at Yamato's now, a sort of after party for his sold out concert. Taichi had come straight from one of his ambassador meetings, apologizing all the while for not being at the event itself. The hanger-ons had been amazed at the collection of chosen children that had attended, though Yamato booted them all out prior to midnight.

The rest of them had stayed up, drinking and talking about the old days. At one point, during a game of cards, Takeru had won Taichi's goggles, with every intention of returning them to him come morning.

"A crush, huh?" Takeru asked, turning to look at Taichi with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, sure, just..." Taichi sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I told myself I would never act on it, cause you were always the baby of the group."

"Hikari and I are the same age, not to mention Iori is younger than us." Takeru pointed out, his fingers touching the strap of the goggle. "I always thought it was Yamato that you had a thing for anyway."

"No, he's too cold for me. You're...bright and you aren't afraid to do the dark thing when it needs to be done."

"The dark thing?"

Taichi considered the question, frowning. "I love you, for you." He whispered, hiding his face in hands.

Takeru moved forward, prying Taichi's hands from his face and forcing the man to look him in the eyes. Taichi struggled against his hold for a moment before relenting and meeting his gaze. "Even though I broke your sister's heart?"

Taichi opened his mouth, letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "That wasn't you."

He grimaced, shrugging after a moment. "I suppose it wasn't. Taichi, this isn't just some drunken idea of yours, is it?"

"I wouldn't have this conversation with you otherwise," Taichi sighed, closing his eyes and pulling his hand away to rub at his temples. Takeru leaned back, giving him the space he wanted. "I told myself I would wait, see if you could find happiness before. It was wrong, you were younger than me. I've known you since you were eight. It's not..."

Takeru smiled, a sadness in his eyes. "Sometimes, I see the others date people who don't understand, don't know the digital world, not the way we do. It always ends badly, because they don't understand how important our partners are to us. It's a small pool of people out there, Taichi, that understand."

Taichi nodded, resting his hands in his lap. "Sorry,"

"For what?" Takeru shifted closer to him, resting a hand on his knee.

"Telling you...like this?" He breathed out the words as Takeru leaned in, kissing the older man. It was short, the sound of something shattering in the doorway making Takeru pull back, Taichi's eyes wide.

"Hell fucking yes!"

Takeru turned to look at his brother, the blond letting out a whoop. "Daisuke owes me." They watched him scramble away, Takeru letting out a sigh.

"He's drunk,"

"Yamato, drunk?" Taichi asked.

Takeru nodded, glancing over at Taichi. "It's rare and takes about three bottles of pure alcohol. But, that does it. He's drunk. Can I keep these?" He asked, lifting the goggles up with a finger.

Taichi frowned before he sighed. "Fine, keep them."

"What do you want to do for a date on Friday?" Takeru asked, moving his free hand to Taichi's knee. "I'm not willing to let you go that easily." He added as Taichi opened his mouth. He grinned, leaning over and kissing Takeru.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"You're welcome," Takeru responded, snuggling against Taichi and closing his eyes. It felt comfortable, the way he had imagined it would feel like when he was younger. Despite the faint smell of alcohol, it was familiar.


	4. Taichi/Football(Crack)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He loves the game, just so much guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I....I don't even know friends.

"Hikari!"

The girl sighed as she heard her brother running through the apartment, sticking her head out of the door to her room. "What is it Taichi?" She asked, watching as he slid to a stop in front of her room.

"Have you seen my football?" Taichi asked, running a hand through his hair. "I promised that I would meet- I have to be somewhere in about ten minutes and I need it."

Hikari frowned, looking her brother up and down with a critical eye. "Who are you meeting?"

He shifted, narrowing his eyes at his sister. "No one," he said hastily.

"Taichi, you're looking for a football, right?"

Taichi turned when he heard his mother's voice, thanking the heavens for her intervention as he ran towards her. He reached out when she handed him the ball, his smile breaking just for a fraction of a second before he took it, thanking his mother for locating it.

It was a football all right, but it wasn't _the_ football that he had been looking for. Really, how could a guy not know when football was better than all of the others? He took the ball to his room, setting it carefully down with the other four he had dug up before he snapped his fingers, climbing up into the bunk bed and rooting around. He found it there, the ball that he wanted above all the others.

He let his fingers caress the well worn ball, his eyes filling with tears as memories came back to him. He was fourteen, just turned. He had kissed a girl, saved the world, made a best friend in the form of a digimon, lost said best friend, and through it all, this football had been by his side. This was the ball above all others, the ball that he favored the most. It was the first football he had ever received.

"Are you done staring at the ball yet?"

Taichi let out a startled yelp, nearly losing his balance and, more importantly, the hold on his precious ball. He turned to glare at Hikari, the younger girl giggling.

"Can I go to the park with you? I'm planning on meeting Takeru today and getting out of the house sounds like a nice way to do it." She explained, gesturing towards the outfit she _only_ ever wore when she went and saw Takeru.

"Yeah, sure, just..." Taichi ran a hand through his hair, finding his fingers catching on a tangle. He pulled his hand away, letting out a grimace.

"Just?" Hikari repeated, raising an eyebrow as Taichi climbed down from the top bunk. "How many balls do you have to own Taichi?"

"They're my friends! I can't just get rid of them!" Taichi moved to stand in front of the line of balls, his eyes going wide as Hikari stared at him.

"Is this...one of those things that we don't talk about?" She asked, folding her hands behind her back. "Do we need to have an intervention again for you?"

Taichi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I don't need an intervention! Jeez, it's not like that, I swear!"

"Taichi, you were staring lovingly at a football." Hikari pointed out.

Taichi stuck his tongue out at his sister, skipping past her with the ball tucked under his arm. "I was not staring lovingly at anything, Hikari."

"We're headed out mom!" Hikari called as she followed her brother to the door. They heard their mother reply from her bedroom, the two pulling on their shoes and heading out of the house. Taichi began to dribble the ball as they walked, finding Hikari's stare to be unnerving at points.

"Look, can you stop staring at me?" Taichi asked, his gaze swinging to Hikari.

She smiled at him, waving her fingers and drifting away to where Takeru was standing under a tree, a book in hand. Taichi rolled his eyes, picking up the ball and holding it between his hands.

"They just don't know everything that we've been through together Bella," he murmured to the ball, ensuring that no one was around to actually hear him talk to it. "They'll never understand the relationship we have."

"Taichi?"

He jumped when he heard Sora's voice, turning and holding the ball behind his back to see her and Koushiro walking down the street.

"Good afternoon," Koushiro greeted, Taichi nodding at them as he pulled the ball back to his chest, knowing that they wouldn't think of it anymore than his sister and Takeru probably did.

"You looking to play a game?" Sora asked, her eyes brightening at the sight of the ball. "It's been a few years, but I bet I could still take you."

Taichi glanced between the two, forcing himself to smile. "Sure! You're on!" the trio made their way to an empty football field, Taichi setting his dear friend on the ground and resting his foot on it.

It was a short, seemingly painless game that they played, Taichi feeling himself fall into the motions easily. It was fun to kick around the ball on your own, but to play it with friends was truly a gift. He felt his foot make contact with the ball, his eyes going wide as he misjudged the swiftness of the kick.

It arched through the air, Taichi calling out the word "Bella" as it landed in a tree, his hands shaking as he realized, with the sound of a breaking heart, that his precious ball had been punctured.

"Is he...okay?"

Taichi looked up at the sound of Takeru's voice, realizing that he had fallen to his knees in the aftermath of the tragedy. Koushiro was patting his shoulder, Hikari letting out a giggle.

"That was his favorite ball," she told Takeru, Sora raising an eyebrow.

"Does he need another intervention?"

"You killed her," Taichi whispered, running a hand over his face. "Where will I get such a _perfect_ ball as Bella?"

"Technically," Koushiro began, "you were the one to kick the ball into the tree. You can always get another ball."

"Bella!" Taichi wailed, Sora letting out a sigh and looking at Hikari.

She shook her head, sighing. "That was the last replacement I could probably find." She whispered to Sora under her breath. "He won't accept any others either, not seeing how he punctured this one."

"This made the...sixth Bella?" Sora asked.

"I'll call Yamato," Takeru sighed, already pulling his phone out and dialing the number. They listened to Taichi sob, his love for football drawing a confused crowd of onlookers.


	5. Taichi/Taichi (Self Love)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does Taichi do by himself those Friday Nights?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, second POV, enjoy!

Every Friday night, you have a standing reservation for a table of one at one of the fancier restaurants in town. It's the one time that many people could see you without your partner, though they often find you sitting by yourself, a glass of wine and a small notebook your only companion.

Years ago, when you were just starting out as an ambassador between the digital and the human world, you had made a promise to yourself to make time for the things that you enjoyed. For the past four years, this had shorted to one a week, you would go out by yourself and take the time that you had for yourself.

It worked out, for the most part, when you decided that you needed the time for yourself. Agumon hadn't understood the concept at first, until you promised to bring him back something special. Now, he spent the nights that you took for yourself in the digital world.

Your thoughts meander as you look at the small notebook before you, a frown crossing your face as you tap your pen against a line that didn't make sense to you. It made sense, in that you could read it, but the phrasing did not help you understand the meaning.

You glance up when you hear someone clear their throat, your gaze finding that of a young woman.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Yagami-san." She gave you a bow, her hair falling past her shoulder. "I wished to inquire if you would be dining alone tonight?"

"It's Friday," you repond, almost blankly, as you tried to process both the line that you were working on and the question the woman had stated.

"It is," she agrees.

"I always eat here by myself on Fridays," you offer the explenation as the silence had started to grow, the woman offering you a frown.

"Does that not get lonely?" She asks, taking a seat across from you. You watch her sit, feeling several eyes turn to you as the woman leans forward. "A handsome man like you, all alone on your Friday nights..."

"Oh!" you smile as you pick up her meaning, letting out a low laugh. "I believe my husband would find the flirting to be quite a complement. However," you flash her a wave with your hand that has the ring. "I am married."

She frowns, her gaze darting over you. "But why would you eat alone all the time?"

You consider the question, offering her a shrug. "Sometimes I just need peace and quiet to get work done. Most of the time, it's to remind myself that I'm a person too. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to continue my date with myself in peace."

You see the offended look she casts you as she stands, walking away from your table in a huff. You shake your head as he she sways her hips, assuring that she found a place to sit before you returned to your small notebook. It wasn't rare that you didn't get time to work or be alone at home, but you had made a promise to yourself that you would always take the time for yourself, regardless of life.

Over the past four years of making that promise to treat and care for yourself, even if it was only once a week, you had found yourself to be more at peace. You found the meetings easier to attend, your temper not running as hot. It was, as your husband so lovingly put it, the best form of self care a person could offer themselves.

You were willing to take any bit of control that you could and run with it.


	6. Taichi/Koushiro/Yamato(Funny)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Often times, they forget that I'm the one that schedules the events. It works out to my benefit, most of the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't used first POV in years, so here's an attempt.

It's a silent stare down as I watch the two knuckleheads that I called partners sit across the table. They had been staring at each other for the past five minutes, each of them daring the other to move first and I was at my wits' end, ready to lose it on both of them.

The subject at hand had been about the two upcoming events both of them were planning. Yamato's final concert in his tour and Taichi's final football game of the season. When they both mentioned the dates, August fourth, they had both shut down and returned to their staring that they were so fond of.

The quiet, death staring that left me in the middle with nothing to do but eat my food, so lovingly purchased from one of Daisuke's ramen stands. It had gotten to be quite the business and he had hired two more people to work for him. Finally, I see Taichi and Yamato turn to look at me, the logical one of the group.

"No,"

They look shocked out of their stare down when I spoke, Taichi opening his mouth as Yamato pushed back his chair. I held up a finger, gaze darting to both of them. I took another bite of food, considering the words I had to say before I actually said them. Unlike the other two our little group, I liked to think about the things I wanted to say, rather than just blurt them out.

"You two have two events, different times. Taichi, your game is in Tokyo, as is Yamato's performance. Your game will be over by three, his performance begins at seven. That is enough time for both of you to go to each other's events." I lay this out in front of them as if they were too dense to understand that their times didn't overlap, something that had been an issue in the past.

"But-" Taichi began and I let out a sigh, holding up a second finger.

"It will be a tight squeeze to manage both events, but if we leave the arena by four, we can get Yamato to set up by five. We just have to take The Car."

I see both of them go wide eyed at the mention of The Car. It was their least favorite method of travel, which is how it ended up being my favorite. The Car was my own special device, modeled to run off of coding via the digital world. I had worked on it in my spare time and the both of them had promised me to never let them in it again. It had been used a total of three times, and each time they had come out perfectly fine.

"The Car is a death trap." Yamato didn't move from where he had crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze drilling into Taichi.

"The Car is a perfectly safe method of travel." I reply, rolling my eyes. "It uses the same coding as the digital gate and neither of you ever complained about that."

"The Car makes me sick." Taichi grumbled, hiding his face in his hands.

"I am not the one that makes schedules so tight." I respond, listening to both of them protest. It wasn't their fault either. Neither of them could work around the other's schedule, while I was just the coder. Often, I rolled my eyes at that sentiment but, tonight, I was really appreciating the fact that I didn't have anything major to juggle as well. It was nice to be the quiet one of the three of us.

"Neither are we!" Yamato splutters, Taichi nodding in agreement. I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"I'm sorry, but The Car is the only way to do this." I lean forward, resting my hand on the table. "Or, I don't attend either of your events and I go meet up with Wallace to work on coding. How does that sound?"

"I want you there!"

Taichi and Yamato spoke up at the same time, exchanging a glance as Yamato sat back down, letting out a huff. "I'll ride in The Car, if it means both you and Taichi are at my concert."

"Same," Taichi mumbled, hiding his face in his hands.

I lit up at their agreement, knowing that my brilliant design was the thing that always won these debates, as neither of them asked me to open the digital gate to travel through. Really, The Car was a much more fun method of travel, for me at least.

I didn't have the heart to ever tell them that I had arranged it so that they had to use The Car in order to reach their destinations for the night. Sometimes, I just had to have some fun, right?


	7. Taichi/Koushiro/Yamato(Serious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you woke up in the dark, you weren't certain what would happen. Now, you are certain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second POV, depression, major character death.

You can count the seconds in a day by the tapping on the keyboard of the young man next to you. You can count the minutes by the raspy sound of the digimon breathing next to you. There are many things you can count, number of heart beats, number of ceiling tiles, number of breathes, in and out. Sometimes, you pace your breathing to the tapping on the keyboard, but often you find yourself lost in the rhythm and drifting asleep.

Those are the minutes that you jerk awake, shaking your head and running a hand over your face. You didn't want the image in front of you to slip away while you slept. Staying awake was the only way to keep it there, to remind you that it was there.

"Yamato?"

The voice is tentative as you swing your gaze to the red haired man, your gaze quickly snapping back to the image. You relax when you feel a hand on your knee.

"Why don't you get some rest?"

The exhaustion that you felt was reflected back in your gaze and you press your lips together, shaking your head in the slowest movement possible. Your digimon, all three of them, were piled together, Gabumon having draped his pelt over the sleeping Mochimon and Koromon. You raise a hand, resting it on Koushiro's hand that was still on your knee, wondering how the pair of you had managed to get this far.

The answer to your question was lost, the pair of you trapped. You weren't sure how long you had in that room before both of you would cease to exist. You leaned over, resting your head on Koushiro's shoulder. Before you, there was a screen displayed across the small room, showing Taichi. The movements were stiff, the man handcuffed to something that you couldn't make out.

Having woken up to having Taichi missing had sent you and Koushiro into a panic both. Seeing Agumon devolve into Koromon made you believe that the worst was to happen. Your hands are shaky as you force your fingers to move, creating the signs in the light of the screen.

_I'm afraid._

After a horrible accident in the digital world, ten years ago, you had been forced to cope with the idea that you would never talk again. It was Taichi that had encouraged you through the first two years. It had been Koushiro who had helped you learn sign language, each of the eleven chosen learning it as well. It was a blessing that Gabumon had been able to pick it up, as had most of the other digimon without really needing to be taught.

Taichi had managed to save you, but Koushiro had given you something more to help yourself with. It wasn't until he came along that you had felt the ability to live again.

"I know," Koushiro moved his hand, placing it around your shoulder while he still typed one handed. It was rare for you two to be alone. Taichi was always around, hovering after the both of you, afraid that either of you would get hurt when he couldn't see. Now, it was him that was bleeding with no way for you to reach him.

_What are you doing?_

It takes you a minute to get the signs correct, your fingers feeling cold and stiff in the room and you have a feeling that you would be huddled with your partners soon enough.

"Tracking down the broadcasting of the image." Koushiro explained,his gaze darting from his laptop to you. You close your eyes, the image of Taichi imprinted on the back of them. When you had nearly lost him during the fight with Meicoomon, you had promised to never let him out of your sight. When you had nearly been killed in the attack that took your voice, he had moved in with you. You were twenty nine, and you could see the scars that littered your body, telling your story of heartache and despair.

"Go to sleep,"

You listen to Koushiro's typing, counting the seconds. He knew what he was doing and, if he needed you, he would wake you up.

***

You drift in the darkness before you feel the arm being removed from your shoulders. You squirm as the body heat is taken away, opening your eyes to find that there were two baby digimon on your lap, Gabumon pressed against your side.

You reach out, grabbing Koushiro's sleeve when you saw that he was moving. The man looked embarrassed, brushing the hair out of his face.

"I may have found a way out. Wait here, okay?"

You try to protest but he's already walking away. You shift from your position, careful to not disrupt Mochimon and Koromon as you lean against the wall. It took you several seconds to realize that the image was gone, the room still just light enough to see if you squinted hard enough.

You cock your head when you hear the footsteps return hours later, watching Koushiro appear out of the darkness. He looked haggard as he sat down next to you. He swallowed hard and you shift, reaching up and feeling the stickiness of blood against his temple.

In the hours that he had been gone, there was a lot of things that you had thought about. In the seconds that you had counted, you had considered that he wasn't returning. Now, you understand as he sits next to you in silence, taking your hand in his. You bristled at the action, when you were first learning to sign. It was Taichi's way of saying you were overthinking when you would start signing without thinking, voicing your thoughts and opinions on the matter.

The bitter taste in your mouth as you closed your eyes, feeling useless, washed over you. It didn't matter, not now. You let Koushiro hold your hand, feeling the tension in his shoulders. Without Taichi, you would fall apart. You both understood that. You would accept the silence, the last few minutes of accepting between you. Then, you would lay yourself away to the fate that was to befall you, rotting, in the dark below the city.


	8. Taichi/Koushiro/Yamato(Happy/Sappy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which glitter is used as a reminder of important dates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBH, I wasn't quite sure how to work this ship. I hope these three chapters haven't been entirely terrible.
> 
> *I'm hoping that some of these will be longer in the future, whoops

He balanced carefully on the chair, edging his fingertips up just an inch more before he caught what he had been trying to fetch for the past ten minutes. He grips it before he hops down, turning to see both Yamato and Taichi staring at him, arms crossed.

"What are you doing?" Yamato asked, walking over to Koushiro and looking him up and down. Koushiro met his gaze, raising an eyebrow as he considered the question.

"I," he said, holding up the object that he had pulled down as it had been hanging on the wall for the past several years without ever being moved, "am cleaning." He gestured towards the cleaning supplies on the floor. He watched Yamato and Taichi give each other a glance, both of them frowning.

"Cleaning?" Taichi asked.

Koushiro let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Taich looked as if he had never heard of the statement before, Yamato looking guilty as he glanced around the small apartment. Koushiro set the display guitar down, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's been on tour for the past three months, you've let the house go Taichi." Koushiro raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, when did it fall on you to clean up?" Yamato protested.

"When you were coming home yesterday. I thought I'd have it done by then, but then your flight was delayed and I was working on it all night." Koushiro shrugged as he spoke, picking up the extended duster that he was using on the ceiling corners.

"Koushiro,"

Taichi reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder and frowning. Koushiro met his gaze, raising an eyebrow.

"What does your office look like?" Yamato asked and Koushiro frowns at him.

"I'm sure it looks like an office. You've been there, haven't you?"

Taichi frowned. "I haven't seen him home in like, two weeks. If he's cleaning here, I would hate to see what his office looks like."

Koushiro let out a sigh. "My office is fine."

Yamato stepped forward, resting his hand on Koushiro's free shoulder and taking the cleaning duster from his hand. "You only clean here when you don't want us to see your office."

Koushiro frowned, realizing that the two were right, as far as they could be regarding the state of his office. "I'll have someone clean it tomorrow."

The pair exchanged a glance, Koushiro stepping out of their grip and heading to the kitchen. Yamato stepped forward to follow him, Taichi resting a hand on Yamato's shoulder.

"He's cooking and cleaning, what did we forget?"

Yamato frowned at the question, his gaze darting to where Koushiro had walked. He watched Taichi scratch the side of his head, Yamato smacking himself in the face and dragging his hand down it.

"Fuck, our anniversary,"

"...shit," Taichi hissed.

"You both forgot." Koushiro leaned against the doorway, a smirk on his face.

"Yeah...." Taichi shifted, running a hand through his hair. Yamato shifted, Koushiro amused by the look of guilt that crept across his face. "We'll make it up to you!"

Koushiro shook his head, smiling at them. "Oh, no, I prepared for this. Trust me, dinner's ready." He added over his shoulder, humming as he retreated to the dining room. The pair shared a glance, recalling the last time that they had promised to trust Koushiro and had ended up stranded in the digital world, trying out a new invention of travelling through the digital code.

"Koushiro!" They both ran into the dining room, seeing the set up that Koushiro had. The pair exchanged a glance, Yamato opening his mouth and glancing at the red head. He smiled, serenely as he sat. The pair hesitantly took their seats, Koushiro moving to press something on his phone.

Taichi let out a sigh as glitter dumped on himself and Yamato, the pair accepting their fate. They would always remember their anniversary after that, the threat of glitter still hanging over them. They didn't speak about why they showed up to the next digital ambassador meeting covered in glitter, but everyone knew what had happened, due to the video that Koushiro had taken.

It was little moments like these that Koushiro enjoyed. The pair had later gotten him back by cleaning his office and then covering it in glitter, but he didn't mind one bit.

He loved the pair, more than anything.


	9. Yamato/Hikari(Funny)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hikari is a giant troll, that is all.

"Someone's knocking at the door."

Hikari grumbled as she heard the voice, pulling the pillow over her head. It was too early in the morning for someone to be knocking on the door. Even more so because she knew who was knocking on the door. She burrowed deeper into the blankets, feeling a hand on her waist.

"I can scare him off,"

Hikari groaned, opening her eyes. "He'll just protest even more." She pushed herself up, running a hand over her face. "There's only one person who knocks like that."

The blond next to her sighed, laying on his back. "You think he would at least wait until a decent time in the morning."

Hikari raised an eyebrow, throwing a pillow at Yamato's face. "If someone went to bed at a decent hour, this would be a decent time in the morning." She grimaced as she said the words, reading the time on the clock. It was a little after seven in the morning.

"Since when does he get up at seven in the morning?" Yamato grumbled, pulling the pillow off his face so the words wouldn't be muffled.

Hikari pushed herself off the bed, retrieving her shirt from the floor and tugging it on. "Since we moved in together."

"You think so?"

Hikari sighed, finding a pair of pajama pants and not bothering to figure out if they were her's or Yamato's. She trudged to the door, her thoughts working sluggishly as the knocking on the door seemed to grow only more frantic.

"Taichi, what are you doing?"

The young woman looked at her brother as she opened the door, seeing the look of guilt flash across his face. Honestly, it got quite annoying after the first four times that he had shown up. She had, since then, lost count of how many times he had come to her door, asking her question after question.

"There's an issue-" he began, Hikari holding up a hand to stop him.

"Is it a life threatening issue?" She asked, watching as he shook his head. "Does it have to do with your nonexistent social life?" She smirked when he grew flustered, the protests cut off as she sighed. "Please Taichi, what are you worried about?"

"He's older than you!" Taichi's voice was raised as Hikari stepped forward, placing a hand on his mouth and letting out a small, vicious grin.

"If you don't stop showing up for the next three days, I will tell him you are dating Takeru."

She watched Taichi's eyes go wide, pulling her hand away when she was certain that he wouldn't start shouting again.

"You wouldn't." His gaze darted over Hikari's shoulder, as if even the mere words could summon Yamato to their sides.

Hikari smiled at him pleasantly. "I will, if you keep showing up. If you show up at all in the next week, I will tell him. Honestly, you don't think I won't do it?"

"That's-" Taichi began, Hikari's eyebrow arching higher as she turned, opening her mouth. "I'm just worried about you." Taichi moved to grab her shoulder, his eyes growing soft as Hikari let out a sigh.

"And I'm tired," Hikari responded, placing her hands on her hips. "And you're annoying the neighbors, probably. I don't want a noise complaint because my brother can't get the facts straight."

"That you're dating Yamato." Taichi stated.

"I asked him out." Hikari replied. "Three years ago. Which, was after you and Takeru had started dating. Look, how you two have managed to keep it a secret is beyond me." She gave him the look, the one that he understood perfectly but pretended that it did not effect him. "But you have to stop showing up here early in the morning. You have to stop showing up. Or I will tell him."

"Tell me what?" Yamato stepped into the living room, watching as Taichi gave him a wide eyed stare. He took a step back, glancing over his shoulder before leaning forward, giving Hikari a hug.

"Thanks for giving me mom's liver surprise recipe! Gotta go!" he let go of his sister before fleeing down the hall, Hikari gratefully shutting the door and moving to sit on the couch.

"Oh, you know, the thing that he thinks you don't know." She mused.

"Him and Takeru?" Yamato frowned. "You're still holding that over him?"

Hikari stared at Yamato, offering him the smallest hint of a smile. "It got me a week's peace, so yes, I am still holding that over him."

"He does understand that like, they aren't that quiet about it, at like all, right?" Yamato asked.

Hikari sighed. "As long as he doesn't think you know, or that you'll freak out at him, it buys me peace and quiet. Now, how about making me breakfast?" She poked Yamato in the side, the blonde letting out a sigh and kissing her hair. "Love you," she murmured.

"Love you too, Angel," he stepped away, heading to the kitchen.

"I think Angel would be a beautiful name for the baby. What do you think, dear?" Hikari muffled a giggle as she heard a glass shatter against the counter top, closing her eyes to catch a couple more minutes of sleep while Yamato cleaned the glass and cursed.


	10. Yamato/Hikari(Serious) - Digatama Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He fell in love with her, once. She was always in love with him, but things were not to be for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Character death(non-descriptive), suicide mentions, death mentions, death threats.

The young girl sits in the hospital room, limp brown hair falling in her face. Dark circles decorate her eyes, her pale skin giving her the look of a ghost. It was quiet, though the hospital contained all of the usual sounds. She could hear the heart monitor, giving out the small beats of life that intoned she was still alive.

She was battered and bruised, broken in more ways than she could explain to an outsider. She lifted a hand to touch the stitches on her face, trailing from the corner of her eye down to her cheek. Fresh tears welled in her eyes as she picked up the pillow, screaming into it.

It was like this, sobbing into the pillow, that she was found by the nurse, several minutes later. The man rushed over, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Ms Yagami, please, you have to lie down."

His voice was soft, gentle as he pried the pillow away from her face. She looked up at him, her dead eyes haunted as she blinked.

"They're all dead."

Her voice was hardly above a whisper as the nurse frowned, squinting. "Yagami....Hikari?" He turned, picking up the chart and reading over the name. He set it back down, turning his attention back to her. "What happened, Hikari?" He asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"They died,"

The words were all she could focus on, the only thing that would repeat, over and over, in her brain. It was all she could think of for the past several hours. The only thing that made her realize that she was alone. The nurse reached up, taking Hikari's hands away from where she had been digging the nails into her shoulders.

He swallowed, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth as he recalled the last time he had seen the Yagami family. He had been seventeen, best friend with Taichi until he had fallen for Hikari, who was only fourteen at the time. He never said anything, keeping the thoughts to himself. When Taichi had found out, there had been a fight about it. That had been ten years ago and he hadn't heard from them since then.

"Ishida, we need you on the floor,"

The nurse swallowed as he stood up, resting a hand on Hikari's shoulder. "It'll be okay,"

Hikari looked up, staring into the blue eyes of Yamato before she began to sob again, reclaiming the pillow and pressing her face into it. She felt empty, nothing left to give, as she pressed the pillow to her face. At the urging of another nurse, she lay down, keeping the pillow clutched to her chest.

***

"Ichijouji, what can you tell me about the murder of the Yagami family?"

Yamato brought the cigarette up to his mouth, taking a drag on it. The man next to him gave him a quizzical look, arching an eyebrow.

"Four dead, one wounded." He began, collecting his thoughts on the matter. "Crime committed by Yagami Hikari's ex-boyfriend, Takaishi Takeru. He committed suicide on scene. No reasoning as to why he left Yagami alive, other than tests showed that she was pregnant."

Yamato recoiled at the name, nearly dropping the cigarette and cursing. He took another drag, running a hand through his hair. "Well, fuck."

"Did you know them?" Ken's voice was mechanical, Yamato glancing at him.

He offered the man a shrug. "Taichi was my best friend for six years. Hadn't spoken to them since we were seventeen. Takeru... He is-was- my brother I guess."

Ken raised an eyebrow, watching Yamato in interest. "How did you hear about the murders?"

Yamato grimaced. "Hikari was in the hospital I work at. She looked... Not well, so I started looking into it. Figured you'd know the most about it."

"You aren't wrong,"

Yamato's gaze slid over to Daisuke, the man leaning against the doorway to the balcony. "It's never just a social visit with you, is it Ishida?"

Yamato grimaced, offering both of the young men a shrug. "I have to have my connections somewhere, don't I?"

"Do you think this was an inside job?" Ken asked.

Yamato considered the question, shrugging once more. "Takeru didn't have any connections inside, did he?"

Ken raised an eyebrow. "For someone who is only a nurse, you are quite well informed, aren't you?"

Yamato flicked the ashes from his cigarette into the tray, Ken crossing his arms as the blond considered the question. "Does it have any connections to the family?"

Ken sighed, unfolding his arms and leaning against the balcony. The pair stared out over the city, Daisuke fidgeting by the door. He remained quiet though as Ken considered the possibilities.

"Takeru was part of us," he began, ignoring Daisuke's snort. "The Yagami's had connections, but Taichi had turned his back on it. As far as I was aware, Hikari was never apart of it. If Takeru was intent on marrying her, he would have had to bring her into the fold. If there was a disagreement..."

"If she got cold feet," Yamato summarized and Ken shook his head.

"The rules are very clear." His words were like small knives digging into Yamato's skin as he spoke. "Takaishi broke the law by having sex with Hikari. I would know if he had intentions of bringing her in. He did not. I would say it was an accident. When she told him, he snapped. He killed the family in front of her, shot himself, and left her without a way to back out. By all rights..."

"The child is a Takaishi and belongs to the family."

Yamato grimaced as he spoke the words.

"Or the child dies tragically, or more likely, she dies along with it." Daisuke spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "And we all know which route people would prefer."

"Why would he leave her alive, knowing that?" Yamato was often disgusted with his side work, the reason he had gone into medicine in the first place. That had been another long standing argument between himself and Taichi. He had kept himself as far out out of the business as possible, but sometimes, he still slipped. He hadn't known that Takeru had fully thrown himself into it. It made sense when he had just completely stopped talking to his brother.

"He probably offered her the position, marry him, be part of it." Ken shrugged. "She said no, there was a disagreement, it got out of hand. And he wanted her to suffer, knowing that she would just be killed later. At best, they take the child and kill it. At worse..."

"Or, another blond haired, blue eye man who looks extremely like Takeru steps in and claims it as his."

Yamato glanced over his shoulder as Daisuke spoke, disgusted by the comment. The man offered him a shrug, tugging on the goggles that hung around his neck.

"That would save face. Takeru found his long time girlfriend cheating on him and he snapped." Ken considered the options, Yamato snorting.

"And where will you find yourself a Takeru look-alike?"

He watched Ken's gaze swing to him, the man assessing him with ease. Daisuke hid a giggle behind his hand, stepping back and letting the door swing shut.

"No."

"Yamato."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She watched her ex, my brother for the record, kill her family. What makes you think she'll want _anything_ to do with me?"

Ken shrugged. "You are the one here, asking me questions. I'm only offering solutions to the harsh reality that is our world, Yamato."

He turned, taking the shot glass that Daisuke had left out and downing it. He set it to the side, feeling the whiskey run through him. "The Digatama will truly get rid of her?"

"You know what secrets we protect. We don't know what Takaishi has told her. It is either she dies or she be brought in and protected by someone that has a name worth something here." Ken shrugged, taking his own drink and heading towards the door. "Your choice, those are the options."

***

Yamato stood outside of Hikari's door, swallowing and feeling the weight of the device that marked him as one of the Digatama. He opened the door, watching Hikari's gaze flick to him, the dead look seeming to brighten at the sight of him.

"Good afternoon Yamato, it's been a while." She was sitting up in bed, her legs crossed as Yamato paused, caught off guard that she recognized him.

"I suppose it has, how have you been, Hikari?" He asked, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

"Well, terrible I suppose." Hikari smiled, Yamato recalling how often she had spent in hospitals when she was younger due to one sickness or another. "Better than last week. I was sad that I hadn't seen you since that first day here."

"You... Know what happened, right?" He asked, watching Hikari frown before she nodded.

"Yes, I am well aware of the circumstances." She shook her head at the thought. "I'd rather not talk about it right now, if you don't mind. I want to hear how you've been doing."

Yamato nodded, taking a seat next to the bed. He felt awkward with Hikari's gaze on him, remembering how he had slowly grew to care for her before he woke up one day and realized that he was in love with her. "I've been doing okay. Decided to study medicine my final year of school. It has worked out quite well and I'm enjoying myself."

They chattered for what seemed like only a few minutes before Hikari sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "You'll have to excuse me, I've been feeling unwell for the past few days. I may be starting to get sick again..."

Yamato shoved his hands in his pocket, feeling the weight of the coin. He went to pull it out, letting go of it as he moved his arms, catching Hikari as she fainted. He felt her shoulders dig into his chest as he moved to lay her on the bed, arranging her gently on the sheets.

He felt guilt gnaw at him as he shoved his hand back in his pocket, determined to wait for her to wake up once more, unwilling to leave the room until she did.

***

"You're still here?"

Yamato jolted awake when he heard Hikari's voice, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I guess I fell asleep, does that bother you?" He spoke softly, his voice full of hesitation as the woman blinked at him, moving to sit up with a grimace.

"I'm in and out, a lot of times." She admitted. "Sometimes I don't know what's real or not. I had hoped that you were real but I thought, for just a moment, that it had been a dream. This week has been terrible, don't you know?" She grimaced, closing her eyes and hiding her face.

Yamato's gaze traced the knife cut on her face, his fingers brushing against it before he could stop himself. "Hikari, I can be here for you."

"Why?"

The question stung him, though he should have known that she would ask him. He paused, considering it before resting a hand on her shoulder. She was looking at him, her mouth pulled down into a frown.

"I love you,"

Hikari seemed taken aback by the words, the confusion plain on her face.

"Have since we were teenagers. It was the big argument Taichi and I got into, the last day I was over. He told me to get out, so I dd." He grimaced, HIkari moving to pull her extra pillow to her chest. She stared over it and past him, tears filling her eyes.

"He looked a lot like you. Takeru did,"

Yamato felt his breath seem to choke him, his eyes growing wide as Hikari sighed.

"It's one of the reasons I agreed to date him. I was mad at Taichi for weeks, after that argument he had with you." She turned to look at him, her eyes far away.

"You could come live with me."

It felt stupid to propose it to her, to offer her a chance to get away from it. He shoved his hand back in his pocket, feeling the coin dig into his fingers as he tried to ignore it.

"You're part of the same group as he was,"

Yamato nodded, closing his eyes. "There were twelve families that originally formed and followed the Digatama. In the years past, several have fallen to the side or died out. I believe that there are only five active families, now."

Hikari looked at him, eyes sad. "The core, that is to say. There are more members than just the core families."

"Yes,"

Hikari looked away, her gaze growing fixated on the window and the rain beyond it.

"If I say yes, what happens to me?"

Yamato swallowed, "you live."

"And if I say no?"

Yamato hesitated, knowing what she was waiting to hear. "More than likely, they kill you for knowing too much. To finish what he started."

"I can't bare to look at you." She admitted.

"You don't have to." He pulled the coin out of his pocket, placing it on the tray next to her. "You just have to accept the protection I can offer."

HIkari laughed, looking up at him. "Is that all?"

"Yes,"

"I think I still love you."

Yamato was caught off guard by the words, recalling the day that Taichi had caught them kissing. Hikari had tried to tell her brother that she had initiated the kiss, that it was her doing, but he had just started arguing. That was the first time she had heard the word _Digamata_ and she had been set on finding out more about it, however she could. It had led her to Takeru, and Takeru had led her back to Yamato.

"Will you come with me?"

He felt his heart beat faster in his chest as Hikari sighed and she finally looked at him, her hand reaching up to touch the cut that decorated her face.

"I think I'd rather die."

Yamato winced at the words, watching the honesty in her gaze.

"That's understandable,"

"Yamato?"

He paused at the door, meeting Hikari's gaze.

"What?"

He didn't dare breathe as the girl looked at him.

"Thank you for understanding." She picked up the coin, setting her pillow aside and studied it.

"You're welcome." He felt his heart ache as Hikari smiled at him, tossing the coin up and watching it spin through the air before she caught it.

"Heads or tails?"

"Tails,"

Hikari looked at the coin, her smile faltering just for a brief moment before she smiled again. He walked out of the door, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough* I may make this into a series, may not. It's an interesting idea.


	11. Yamato/Hikari(Happy/Sappy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He sings, you dance. It's a match made by the heavens, isn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of favorite tropes that these One-shots let me live through. It's beautiful.

You dance across the stage, feeling the weightlessness take over you. It was always this way when you danced, the feeling of being free truly surrounding you.

It's seconds after that you hear the music stop, your hair cascading around your face as you catch your breath. It was a perfect way to end the night, breathless and happy. There was little more you could want, as your gaze scans the group, your eyes finding the mysterious blond haired man that you had noticed at the beginning.

You give the crowd one final bow, stepping off the stage and into the back. It's quieter back here, the air cooler than under the stage lights. You lift a hand to someone else in your troupe, nodding at them as you see the manager walk towards you.

"Someone wants to see you 'kari,"

You frown as you consider the request, watching your brother. He looks at ease, unlike the last time someone had tried to sneak back to look at one of the performers without their knowledge. He lifted a hand, the edge of a blade glittering before it's tucked safely up his sleeve.

"What did he look like?" You ask, accepting a hair strap as you begin to braid your hair, fingers working swiftly. You tie it, draping it over your shoulder and waiting.

"Blonde, blue eyed. Pretty distinctive for the type of crowd we draw. He looks soft..."

You smile. "Out of place for a roadway tavern. Just like us,"

Taichi laughed, shaking his head. "Do you want to speak with him?"

You consider it, pressing a finger to your lips in thought. "Sure, if he's already back here." Your gaze slides past your brother, seeing the man standing at the door. He offers a small, hesitant wave in your direction and you walk towards him.

"Good evening, did you enjoy the performance?" You tuck the stray strands of hair that had escaped from your braid, eyes dancing as the man smiled.

"It was wonderful. I was wondering if your company would be staying in the area longer?"

You shake your head, feeling as if fireworks were going off in your mind upon hearing his voice. You remember, several years ago, having heard of a talented singer that had travelled the lands with a voice like honey. You often didn't give into the idea of a man like that, but this man...

"We'll be here another two days, then we'll continue on." You explain, beckoning him beyond the doorway. You saw Iori give you a wary look as he let him past, moving to stand guard once more. "What are you doing on the road?"

"I'm looking for a group to possibly sing with." He speaks with his hands, you watching his every move as you lead him to a small table. You pick up a glass of water, listening in interest.

"We have several singers in our troupe but, perhaps, we can find a place for you if we can hear you sing."

The person who speaks is Jou, the second manager of the group next to your brother. The pair of them had been working to keep the troupe afloat ever since your parents had passed. They had done an amazing job so far.

The blond ran a hand through his hair, offering a small laugh. "I can give a performance, but I don't believe I can upstage such brilliance that your troupe has." He's already turning to Jou, the man giving him a hard stare. He was the resident doctor, his parents having taught him before he joined the group.

You settle down in a seat as the blond cleared his throat and began to sing.

***

Yamato quickly begam your favorite singer to dance with, when he journeyed with your troupe. Often, he wandered away for months at a time, and your heart yearned for him when he was gone. He had been with the troupe for three years now, off and on through the time. He disappeared during the darkest of the winter months, returning when the thaw began.

He offered nothing in way of explenation, only that he would bring you tanned hides, as a silent apology. You caught Sora watching over your exchange, the woman the mother hen of the group, just as Jou was the worrier and the reliable font man. She would often appear when she felt that you and Yamato had been alone for too long.

The walks in the woods, during the early spring and the late fall, were your favorite times with Yamato. The pair of you were always quiet, though you sensed that there was much he wanted to say. The fall of the third year, about to be his fourth with you, was when the silence had been broken.

Across the land, there had been wars that had appeared. While the pair of you were walking in the silent evening light, you had been ambushed. It was funny, after the fact, that the men thought either of you would be useful as a hostage. Yamato had dealt with them in a hardness that you had not seen in him before, moving as if it were the easiest thing that could happen.

Once the fight was over, he pulled you aside, a grim look crossing his features.

"I don't know if I'll be back in the spring."

You frown as he speaks, watching him as he lifted a hand, brushing it against your cheek. "Where are you going?"

He sighed, "home."

The word had a weight that it normally didn't when he spoke of his mountain home. He rolled his shoulders back, looking over his shoulder. You lean forward, catching his hand in yours. "Will I see you again?"

The two of you had grown close in the past three years and you did not want to see him go away. His eyes haunted your dreams, the sound of wolves bringing comfort if you thought of Yamato. The fight that had happened seemed distant, with him so close to you.

"I don't know."

You swallow, knowing that he means it as he looks down at you. "I... I'm sorry. I wish I could offer you something more, a promise or a token..."

You smile, reaching up and kissing him. It was brief, and you could see the shock in his eyes. "Just knowing I got to dance to your singing will always carry me on."

He let his hand drift down from your cheek to your shoulder, drawing you into a hug.

"Mayhaps we will venture to the mountains ourselves."

The words were out before you could think, and you watched Yamato tense under you. He shook his head, letting out a laugh. "I doubt mountains would be of much interest to the troupe. They would love to see you dance, when you dance for yourself. It's breathtakingly beautiful, and they would flourish well to see you, even once."

"I love you,"

It had been moments between his last words and the words that you had both spoken in unison. You stare him in the eyes, feeling your throat well up with sadness as you realized that you wouldn't be seeing him again for a very long time. You were only eighteen, which would seem young to most.

But, travelling, you felt older beyond your years.

"I'll wait for you."

You made the promise, despite knowing that you may never see Yamato again. He leaned down, kissing you once more, drawing you in. You relish in his grip, closing your eyes and breathing. He pulls away too soon, not soon enough, your thoughts colliding with each other as he sighs.

"Will you tell Taichi I'm sorry for leaving like this?"

You nod, knowing your brother will be mad if only for your sake. The lot of you were used to people drifting in and out, beyond your main core of ten. You watched Yamato walk away, towards the mountains, with nothing but the clothes on his back while you returned to your group, flagging Taichi down.

It was as usual, with Yamato's leaving, though Taichi commented that it was perhaps too early and he didn't collect his final pay, for touring with the group. He saw your crushed look when you realized that he was truly gone, dropping all discussion to listen to you.

****

You set the pen to paper, feeling the words well up in you. The lands had been ravaged by fighting, the wars finally settling. Your small group had managed to survive, picking up a stray boy by the name of Takeru, who seemed to be guarded by angels themselves.

You grimace as you conjure up the other blond haired man that you had dance for, years before. You set the pen down, pushing away from the table and getting up to join the fire. It was not often, now, that you would dance for people. Here, in the heart of your camp, you would dance and let yourself remember.

There were half recalled memories of Yamato's singing that you would lose yourself in, wishing you could remember the full pieces. Those that were playing around the fire would stop and just watch you, as you dance for someone who was not there. In the past ten years, you had lost your brother and picked up a stranger. You had stepped up into his position and people would pay nearly triple just for the chance to see even a glimpse of your dance.

"You dance to something unknown,"

You whirl when you hear the voice, meeting the blue eyed gaze of the boy that had joined your group not two years prior. You offer him a small smile, dropping your arms to your sides as you lose the thread of the dream you had been desperately trying to cling to.

"A singer once traveled with us, nearly ten years ago. I have his songs, tucked away half remembered." Your voice is polite, often finding yourself troubled with how to speak to Takeru, who reminded you so much of Yamato. You tuck your hair behind your ear, always finding it better to dance with it lose.

"Who was he?"

You consider the question, watching Takeru fidget. There had been stories passed around the fire of the singer. You turn your head when you hear the wolves howl, a smile coming to your face at the thought of the pelt that still warmed your bed.

"His name is Yamato, he's a singer that traveled with us for three springs, summers, and falls. He returned to the mountains each winter, never told us why he ventured there. We often have people that travel with us for short periods of time. I love him." You sit in front of the fire, realizing that the others had slunk off. Takeru sat next to you, closer than one would normally if they weren't part of your group.

"Do you miss dancing?"

You hesitate as he asks the question, nodding your head. "I still dance for myself, but dancing in front of the crowds was something that you couldn't recreate. It was exhilarating, but there's only one singer I would dance for again." The knowledge that you would only dance for Yamato makes its way into your heart, surprising you by the words.

"Does no one else know his songs?"

You shake your head. "Of course they know them, but it would be dishonorable to sing his songs without permission. Knowledge is a gift to be shared, rather than something to be stolen."

"What if he were dead? Would that change your mind?"

You shudder at the thought, watching the open eyed curiosity of Takeru. "No, even if he were dead, he did not give his permission for anyone to use his songs."

"He's of the wolf clan," You frown as the boy speaks, running his fingers through his hair. "That is why we've been drifting closer to the mountains, isn't it?"

You look up, realizing that he had the right of it. "No, I hadn't noticed the path that we were taking." You stand, bidding him goodnight and walking to the tent that you knew Jou and Sora shared. You cleared your throat, watching the light flicker inside as Jou moved to open the flap.

"What can I do for you Hikari?"

"Jou, I apologize, but I believe that I have a journey to make." You catch Sora's wide eyed stare at the statement over Jou's shoulder, the man frowning. "Would you be willing to watch over the troupe for me in my absence?"

"How long will you be gone?"

It's Sora that speaks, her voice soft as she realizes why you were asking. You meet her gaze, offering them both a shrug.

"I don't know."

You feel your fingers drift to the pendent around your neck, having received it from Taichi before he passed.

"I think it's long overdue." Sora smiles at you, nodding. "We'll keep care of everyone while you travel. Be safe, Hikari."

"Take what you think you'll need." Jou was serious as he met your gaze, nodding. "You know what it costs to travel alone."

"She won't be alone."

You whirl when you hear Takeru's voice, watching him appear from the shadows and nodding.

"This is not for you to offer." Your voice is harsh as Takeru raises an eyebrow.

"Yamato is my brother, I know where he may be."

The truth strikes you hard, but you ignore the pain, nodding. "Than we shall set out at once, I only have a few things tha I need." The scent of the fire is plain in the air as you duck into your tent, gathering the pelt that Yamato had once brought you, along with several small bags of money, hiding them cleverly on your person.

****

The journey to the mountains was harsh, as you had expected. Takeru was a silent companion, finding nothing to speak of upon revealing that Yamato was his brother. You find the silence to be acceptable, as you travel. But as you grew nearer the highest trail of the mountain, you began to despair.

"He is here."

Takeru's voice was soft, the snow howling around you. You drag the pelt tighter against you, thanking Yamato in your memory for the gift even more. Your gaze dances across the snowy peaks, resting on the alter that was standing, sheltered in a shallow cave.

"How can you tell?"

Takeru beckons you into the cave, sitting before the alter and setting his staff to the side. He brushes the alter off from its dusting of snow as you enter the cave, sitting next to him. On the alter, you see the wolf running, your breath seeming to leave you as the wolves howled.

"They call this the Wolf's Peak."

Takeru moved, resting a hand on the wolf's image.

"It's an ancient place, of older beings. This was said to be the first point rising out of the sea, when the lands were created. From here, all things came, flowing downward." He moved his hand over the image and you take in a breath, watching the wolf move and blink upwards.

Takeru glanced at you, letting out a sigh.

"Yamato is the last of the line of the Great Wolves that once roamed these peaks. He returned when his mentor, Garuru, passed away ten years ago. They say there are twelve great beasts that came from these peaks. Those that were gifted the abilities to sing, dance, play, fight, they say that they came from these lines."

Your breath catches as the howling grows closer, Takeru pressing closer to you as he leaned over, touching another section of the alter. "These have been forgotten, save for half remembered songs."

You look up, your breath catching in your throat as you hear someone sigh. The man stood in the entrance of the cave, looking disheveled while wearing nothing but a blue striped pelt. You move to stand, Takeru moving away as you ran to Yamato, throwing your arms around him.

He catches you with ease, his eyes full of worry as he takes a step back, looking you up and down. He opens his mouth but you shake your head. You see the emotions that flick through his eyes, frustration being the most prominent.

"You should have stayed away,"

"I love you."

You meet his gaze, determination filling you as Yamato sighed, leaning down and kissing you again.

"I was afraid of that."

"I was afraid that I'd go crazy, thinking that you never existed."

Yamato cocked a smile, pulling you into his arms. "The mountains are a cruel place to live."

"I gave up dancing, because I couldn't remember your songs, not correctly."

You heard him suck in a breath, his eyes flashing as he looked from Takeru to you.

"I wanted to see you, confirm for myself that you were real. It drove me insane, thinking that you were a hallucination. Please, Yamato, let me stay. I want to dance, for you."

"It's a lonely life up here."

"It's lonelier without someone to share it with."

"Very well, but you and I will have to dance and sing together, liven the mountains with music as it has never heard and dancing as it has never seen."

"I want to dance, for you and the mountains."

"Then we shall."

He kisses you again, and you feel warmth tingle all over you. You return, in the summers and the falls, to the troupe and you and Yamato perform the pieces that you practice and perfect in the long winter months and the few months of thaw, up in the high peaks, with Takeru as your only witness.


	12. Taichi/Daisuke/Ken(Funny)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken is sure that the apartment would be a mess when he returned. His suspicions deepen when it's perfectly clean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly though, Ken getting Daisuke and Taichi in maid outfits to clean the apartment.

Ken reached a hand to the doorknob, the keys held losely in his fingers. He had unlocked it but, after spending several weeks away from home, he dreaded to see what would be behind the door. He swallowed, tensing when he heard a door open behind him.

"Good even Ichijouji-san, I did not realize that you were home!"

He turned to smile at one of his neighbors, running a hand through his hair. "I just returned." He set his hand on the doorknob, smiling at the neighbor. "I hope everything was quiet while I was gone?"

"Everything was quiet," the neighbor chuckled as Ken pushed open the door, keeping his eyes closed. He opened them only after he was certain he was past the entryway, shutting the door behind him and frowning.

The apartment was as spotless as he recalled it being before he left. He took of his shoes carefully, seeing both of his partners' shoes in the entryway.

"Dai...? Tai....?" His voice echoed around the apartment, stepping forward and hoisting his bag higher on his shoulder. The growing sense of dread settled over him as he poked his head into the kitchen, finding not even a stray dish out of place. His gaze slid to the table, seeing that it was set up for lunch.

He turned away from the kitchen, heading to the spare bedroom that had been converted to a study. He opened the door, finding his own, usual mess greeting him. While it was not on par with the mess that his partners left, it still irked him that he had left it a mess in the first place.

He placed his laptop down on the desk, backing away from the room and shutting the door. He froze when he heard the sound of a specific digimon giggling, relaxing when he recognized Chibimon. He headed towards the room that had been dedicated as the Digimon Room, swinging the door open and greeting the small blue lizard.

"Ken's back!"

Chibimon bounced in front of him, his eyes filled with happiness. Ken squatted down, reaching out and touching Chibimon's head before he scooped him up and into a hug. "Where is everyone else?" Ken asked, his gaze skidding across the suspiciously quiet room.

"Dai and Tai went out~" Chibimon snuggled against Ken's chest, the man frowning.

He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the entryway from where he stood. "Without their shoes?"

Chibimon shrugged. "They said they would be back. Then they went into the digital world."

"With...Wormmon and Agumon?" Ken asked, hopeful. While the digital world had been silent in the past, it had grown active once more.

"Yeah," Chibimon nodded in agreement.

"Chibimon, why did Daisuke take Wormmon and not you?"

Chibimon frowned at the question, looking up at Ken. He blinked before he shrugged, bounding out of Ken's arm and tugging on his pant leg. "Come on, come on!"

Ken followed the digimon to the computer in the living room, sighing as Chibimon hopped up on the desk. "We have to go through, that's what they told me to tell you!"

"Chibimon, where are we going?" Ken asked, fiddling with his D-3. He glanced at the lizard, watching him grin in amusement. He gave up on asking him for answers, gaining an idea as to why Chibimon had been left behind, rather than Wormmon. His partner would tell him whatever he wanted, while Chibimon would remain silent to anyone but Daisuke.

He activated the gate, grimacing as he and Chibimon landed on the Digital world, V-mon now running circles around his legs before taking off. Ken followed him as quickly as he could, the man glad he kept in shape. It was several minutes before the digimon skidded to a halt outside of a small clearing in the forest. Ken looked around, stepping into the clearing and staring at the table spread.

"V-mon, where are Daisuke and Taichi?" Ken asked, looking over his shoulder to find him gone. He frowned as he walked over to the table, picking up the card that was laying on it.

_Welcome home Ken! Taichi and I even managed to not burn down the apartment while you were gone. Be there soon, love you!_

He set the paper down, taking a seat at the table and looking at the food. He glanced up when he heard an excited crash, Daisuke running across the clearing and throwing his arms around Ken, kissing him. It was several seconds before Taichi appeared, looking pissed.

"What the hell Dai?" The other man ran a hand through his hair, smiling at Ken.

"I'm surprised," Ken shrugged out of Daisuke's grip, moving to stand. "The apartment is clean."

Daisuke and Taichi shared a look, Ken letting out a sigh. "We did try to make sure to not fall apart while you were gone." Taichi spoke, linking his hands behind his head.

"Who did you pay to clean the apartment?"

The pair looked at each other, Daisuke scratching the side of his cheek. "We found that we both look good in maid outfits." He offered, Ken staring at them.

"We lost a bet," Taichi supplied and Ken's brow arched higher until Taichi spoke again, "To Yamato. He helped clean."

Ken let out a low breath, looking around the clearing and seeing a disassembled tent. "You've been camping out here so you didn't trash the apartment again."

"Yes." 

Ken's gaze drifted down to Wormmon, picking up his beloved partner. "I want pictures,"

"Yamato has them." Wormmon smiled at him, Ken hearing the groans from both Taichi and Daisuke. He looked up, a smirk across his face.

"Maybe I'll make you two clean the apartment more often. I'm sure you look absolutely fascinating in those maid outfits." The pair shared a look, Daisuke and Taichi both sharing a horrified look as Ken sat down to eat.


	13. Taichi/Daisuke/Ken(Serious) - Digatama Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taichi knew when the coin appeared, that he could never escape his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is another little excerpt from a longer story I'm toying with writing. It is connected to the Yamato/Hikari(serious), set earlier in what the story would be. If I can finish up one of my other ongoing projects, I may consider turning this one into a longer story!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments below!
> 
> Also, I currently have a total of 25 or so pairings that I want to do, following the three types of each pairing. So, be ready for the long haul!

Taichi sat at his desk, listening to the rain pounding against the window. The twenty year old felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. His gaze caught the coin that lay flat on his desk, a grimace crossing his features. Even though he had recently moved out on his own, the coin had shown up in his things a day after his move.

He picked it up, feeling the weight and looking at the etched crown on one side, a dagger on the other. He flipped it up, watching it spin in the air before he caught it, placing it flat on the table.

"Tails,"

He glanced over when he heard the voice, watching the man slink out of the shadows.

"How long have you been here Ken?" Taichi doesn't move his hand from the coin, watching as Ken offered him a shrug.

He walked over, resting a hand on Taichi's shoulder, Taichi feeling his grip tightening. "Your sister and Takaishi are getting quite close."

Taichi rolled his eyes at the comment. "Is that a threat or a statement?"

Ken offered him a smile. "Both," he suggested.

Taichi picked his hand up from the coin, looking at the dagger. Ken leaned against the wall, his eyes on Taichi. The man pushed the coin away from him in disgust, moving to stand. "Is my sacrifice not enough?"

Ken heaved a sigh. "I can't control what your sister or Takaishi does, dear." He took a step forward, placing a hand on Taichi's chest.

"No, of course not."

Taichi watched as Ken quirked an eyebrow, leaning up and kissing the man. There was a year age gap between the two, though when he had met with Ichijouji Ken, Taichi often felt like the younger, less experienced of the two. He lifted one hand to Ken's waist, hearing someone snicker in the doorway.

Ken pulled apart from Taichi, letting out a sigh. His gaze flicked to the door, watching as a third figure stood there, dripping water onto the carpet. Taichi was already moving, grabbing one of the towels he hadn't moved into the bathroom yet and holding it out to the teenager.

"It's only been a week and you're already crashing my place." Taichi sighed.

Ken gave him a small hum of discontent as Daisuke sat on the couch. "Perhaps we would not be here if you had offered to leave a forwarding address. Hikari simply said you had moved, but did not leave an address for us to find you by."

Taichi grimaced, his gaze dropping to the floor as Daisuke let out a sigh. Taichi's gaze darted to him, seeing the light glinting off the piercings along his ear. He raised a finger, shaking it like he was speaking with a naughty child.

"It just took us extra work to track you down."

Taichi let out a sigh, feeling Ken's gaze on him. "Maybe I didn't want to be found."

Ken opened his mouth in a pretend surprise, his eyes glinting. He reached forward, knotting his hand into Taichi's hair and pulling him down to look him in the eyes. Taichi was only taller than him by a handful of inches, though he often felt like he should be smaller when it came to his gaze. "Who said you got to leave?"

Taichi closed his eyes, taking a breath to steady himself. "No one, it was a stupid idea to escape for just a couple of days."

"We'll always find you." Daisuke speaks while examining his nails, Taichi shuddering at the flat tone his voice.

Ken let him go, Taichi taking a step back and watching as he prowled in the living room, fingers twitching as his hand landed at the whip on his side. "If you wanted time away, all you had to do was tell us, darling. We'd understand."

Taichi closed his eyes, nodding. He had been apart of the Digatama since he was fifteen, despite his father's warnings. The allure of Ken had brought him down and, though sometimes he saw the anger hiding behind Takeru's eyes as he floated around Hikari, he had never regretted joining the group until three weeks ago.

The smell of blood still haunted him at night.

"Are you upset?"

It's Daisuke that asks, shedding the towel that he had been sitting in and walking over. He takes one of Taichi's hands in his, tugging him towards the couch. Ken was still pacing circles in front of it, like a caged animal that wanted to lash out.

Taichi gritted his teeth, closing his eyes and heaving a low sigh. "Unsettled," he offered. Ken's gaze snapped to him, the dark haired man moving to stand in front of Taichi and catching his face between his hands.

"If you needed time to think about it, we would have let you be alone in peace. You worried us," he breathed, several inches from Taichi's face. He felt Daisuke press up against him, knowing that both of them were better with the whole death thing than he had ever been.

"You can't disappear like that, Tai."

He took a breath, closing his eyes and focusing on the warmth around him. It was comforting, to sit like this, though he knew that it could change at any moment. He felt Ken move, the hands being pulled away from his face.

He opened his eyes, finding Ken kneeling before him. "You don't have to have an active role in the Digatama, we can find a position that would suit you well. However, you can't leave, not now."

Taichi heard the implication as Daisuke moved, his hand resting on Taichi's leg. He had been drawn into the world by Ken and Daisuke. He had fallen in love with them, when he shouldn't have. He hadn't meant to be drawn into the world that his parents had tried to leave, but it had happened.

His eyes snap open as Ken moved, sitting on Taichi's lap and resting his head on the other man's shoulder. Taichi moved one hand to wrap around Ken's waist, his other hand pulling Daisuke closer to him. He heard the rain pick up, the power flicking before it went down. The weight of terror crashed over him as Ken pressed closer. He knew, even after all this time, he had a fear o fthe dark.

Daisuke moved his free hand to rest on Ken's knee, offering him a reassuring pressure. The trio sat like that until the rain stopped, early in the morning. Taichi knew that he wouldn't leave, not when he was so horrendously in love with the people before him.

To leave would be to never walk in the digital world again.

To leave would be to suffocate, drown, and burn all at once.

He would never leave his partners behind.


	14. Taichi/Daisuke/Ken(Sappy/happy)

A device ringing in the middle of the night was not uncommon in a household that held three adult males, each having a phone, a D-3, and a D-terminal set to make some sort of noise.

It was not uncommon for one of the others to pick someone's phone up, the ring tones sounding like each other's. Eventually, the three men had figured out a pattern, so that mistake became less common and more uncommon.

It was uncommon to be alone in the house at midnight, rain pattering against the windows. It was dark as the phone gave a clashing ring, the lone occupant picking it up and holding it to his ear, not looking at the caller ID. With friends all over the world, it was possible that anyone could be calling.

"Hello?"

"Taichi?"

The man blinked as he sat up in bed, trying to place the voice. "Sorry, this is Ken. He left his phone at home. How can I help you?"

Ken stretched, peering at the clock. It was a little after three in the morning and Ken had barely collapsed around one that morning. Work had been draining, a case keeping him up well past the time that he would have normally been home. Both Daisuke and Taichi had been missing from the apartment when he returned home, also not an uncommon occurance with their clashing schedules.

It was strange for Taichi to have left his phone at home, however.

"My apologizes for calling you so late, Mr. Ichijouji. My name is Catherine. Do you know when Taichi would be home?"

Ken blinks as he hears the woman's name. Her accent takes him a moment to place before he recalled the blonde French chosen he had met just three weeks prior. She had been in Japan to speak with Taichi regarding his ambassador efforts.

"Let me see if there's a note." Ken pulled himself from the bed, heading into the kitchen and flipping on the lights. Living with Taich and Daisuke both had it's downsides. Each was a slob, but Daisuke made certain that the kitchen was in emaculate order every day, even when Taichi and he had trashed it from cooking expeditions. It was his pride and joy.

He reached the table, finding the note that he hadn't bothered to search for when he returned home.

"It looks like he'll be back by the end of the week." He glanced over the note, reading through it again and sighing. "Would you like me to take a message?"

There was a pause, Catherine letting out a sigh. "No, I'll see if I can reach Takeru. Thank you for your time, Mr. Ichijouji."

Ken frowned as he set the phone on the table, reading over the note with a sigh. It did not say what time Daisuke or Taichi would be back, just at some point before the morning. He headed back to bed after retrieving a glass of water and drinking it. He would worry in the morning, for now he wanted to sleep.

***

Ken didn't remember going back to bed, only that he had gotten a cup of water. His mind was fuzzy from sleep as he nestled in closer to one of the warm bodies. It had been cold last night, without anyone there. He remembered that much, but now...

He opened his eyes again, finding Daisuke's arms around his waist while Taichi snored on the other side of him. The pair had snuck in sometime between the three am call and Ken waking up now. He moved an arm, catching hold of Taichi and encouraging him to move closer. It wasn't ideal, more than likely he would end up squashed between the two. But, for now, he could enjoy the warmth and safety he had felt with both of them being home.

He breathed out a small thank you to whoever might have been listening, closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep.


	15. Yamato/Ken(Serious) - Digatama Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He knew that he would be dragged back, year after year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough* I am looking at making this a series, but have another random One-shot from this universe!
> 
> Ken's motto: If it's human, I can fuck it.

"Ishida,"

The nurse turned when he heard his name, watching the young man as he strode into the hospital.

"Evening Ichijouji, what can I do for you?" Yamato asked, turning to him and raising an eyebrow. He knew the man before him well, though they often did not talk. He had seen him around his younger brother, and he knew what he was apart of.

"We've come to call a meet." Ichijouji flipped a coin in the air, Yamato reaching out to catch it as it sailed past his face. He studied the dagger and crown coin, his gaze flashing back to Ken. The man was passive, hands folded behind his back.

"And if I don't go?"

Ken let out a low hum. "Taichi won't be there,"

The words sting as Yamato glanced at the coin in his hand. The sticky connections that he was entangled in, the knowledge that Ken had shown up personally to invite him.

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Ken arched an eyebrow before he let out a laugh, stepping towards Yamato. "Your brother is doing quite well, wouldn't it be nice to see it for yourself? He's taken the path of the Angel. We have a chance of having six of the families in attendance. It would be nice if it were the full eleven but..."

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Gabumon will be there."

Yamato froze at the words, looking up at Ken. The man arched an eyebrow, shaking his head.

"That's cold."

"Come."

Yamato sighed, shoving the coin into his pocket and considering the suggestion. He knew what would happen if he didn't, and it wouldn't be pretty. He was only twenty five, but he understood the implications of what would happen if he didn't attend, even more so with a direct summons from the head.

"What day is it?"

Ken smiled as Yamato spoke, "August the first, tomorrow."

"You don't give a person much warning."

"Less time for them to run."

Yamato shivered, turning away and going back to his rounds. He felt the weight of Ichijouji's gaze on him though, when he looked, the man was gone.

***

Yamato brushed his fingers through his hair as he looked up at the mansion. It was a full moon, the air crisp as he walked up the path to the house. He raised a hand to knock on the door, watching it swing open.

"Welcome,"

Yamato stared down at the shorter man, the brown haired boy meeting his gaze with a hard stare before he beckoned him in. He headed to where he heard the voices, standing in the shadows of the doorway. He counted more than five people there, recognizing the blue haired man from one of his medical routes. He saw Ken perched on a chair, Daisuke lounging on the armrest next to him.

The pink haired girl's laughter was familiar, as was the red haired woman next to her. He glanced to the side when Takeru appeared, sending him a smirk.

"It's been a while, big brother!" He said, threading his arm through Yamato's. "There are so many new people here, why don't I introduce you?"

His voice caused several people to look over in interest, the pink haired walking towards them.

"You have a brother, TK?" She asked, her gaze swinging to Yamato.

Yamato shrugged, "our parents separated when we were younger. Didn't grow up together. Yamato, the name. Who are you?"

She smiled, appraising him with interest. "Mimi, and this is Sora." She gestured towards the other woman, the red head raising a hand in a hesitant wave.

"New blood?"

"Old families," Takeru chirped, his eyes flashing as Yamato raised an eyebrow.

"Thought they died out." He heard Mimi give a huff as he spoke and ignored her, walking away.

"Takeru,"

Yamato glanced over his shoulder when he heard the voice, catching sight of Hikari Yagami. She was twenty two now, if he recalled correctly. Her hair was longer than it had been, and she had grown up beautifully. He stepped away from his brother, offering her a hesitant smile.

"Hey, 'Kari."

"Hello Yamato, I didn't realize you and Takeru were related."

She spoke mechanically, Yamato glancing from her to Takeru. Even in the heat, she wore a long sleeved shirt, her gaze guarded. He offered her half a shrug, Takeru moving to take her hand with a smile.

"Need something?" He asked happily.

"I was going to head home, I'm not feeling well."

Her words were eclipsed by the sound of Ken clapping his hands, the gathered people turning to look at the young man as he stood. His gaze was flitting from face to face, his hands still poised to clap once more in front of him.

"Thank you for coming to the meeting of the Digatama..."

***

Yamato slumped on the couch in Ken's mansion, looking up at the ceiling. It was well past midnight, his head pounding at the thought of having to be to work in the morning. He debated the benefits of calling off, turning his head when he heard footsteps. He saw Ken appear in the arch of the door, his gaze landing on Yamato.

"I did not expect you to stay this long."

Yamato pushed himself up, feeling the ebb of the events of earlier. He offered Ken a small shrug. "I didn't expect to stay. Too much to drink."

He pulled his phone from his pocket, texting his supervisor that he would not be in due to an illness. He apologized for the time, putting his phone on the table as Ken came over, kneeling in front of him and taking his hands.

"Do you still sing?"

"Sometimes,"

Yamato watched as Ken looked up at him, moving to kiss him. He felt his breath catch at the unexpected movement, Ken pulling back and smirking. "You still love her,"

"Who?"

He tipped his head to the side, pressing a finger to his lips as if he were deep in thought, "Hikari."

"Yeah," Yamato shrugged. "But she's dating my brother."

"You know he hurts her."

Yamato froze at the words, feeling Ken place his hands on Yamato's knees. He met the man's gaze, trying to judge the reason he was telling him this. Ken watched him, leaning over and kissing him again, placing all of his weight into his hands to keep himself up. Yamato moved to rest his hands on Ken's waist, taking a shuddering breath when he pulled away.

"What about Daisuke and Taichi?"

"They won't care," Ken snorted, his eyes dancing in amusement. "I want you, right now."

"And if you can't have me?"

Ken gave a small laugh. "I think you'd be lying."

Yamato closed his eyes, knowing that the man was right. It was comfortable, easy, seamless to be with him. And, in the aftermath, he would lay on the couch, the other with his cheek against Yamato's chest as he sang softly, chasing away the nightmares at plagued them both.

He knew that the Digatama were terrible people, that it would claw into his life and pull him down. But it was all he had, now.


	16. Yamato/Ken(Funny)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is _really_ short.

Ken looked embarrassed as he stepped into the bedroom, Yamato shifting on the bed. He was sitting cross legged, his wrists handcuffed to the bedpost behind him. The sheepish look made Yamato sigh.

"Did you get the keys at least?" He asked.

Ken nodded, pulling the handcuff keys out of his pocket and walking over to the bed. "Hida had several questions about why I needed the master handcuff keys and what happened to my own keys."

Yamato let out a sigh, gratefully pulling his wrists from behind his back and rubbing the sore spots. He had been like that for nearly two hours while Ken tracked down the police chief and he had the horrible feeling that something bad was going to happen.

The man sat next to him, carefully placing the keys back into his pocket. He placed his handcuffs on the desk, sharing a look with Yamato. The blond arched his eyebrow carefully, watching as Ken hid his face behind his hands.

"What did you tell him?"

"That I locked my boyfriend up to the bed and dropped the keys down the sewer pipe because I thought it would be funny." Ken's voice was void of emotion as he spoke, Yamato opening his mouth before it clicked that he was joking. He looked at Ken, the man pulling his hands away from his face.

"So..."

"Never again," Ken mumbled.

"I thought we were doing okay until we lost the keys." Yamato joked, Ken shooting a glare at him. He held up his hands as Ken moved forward, kissing him on the nose.

"No."

Yamato nodded in agreement, Ken taking his wrists and rubbing the salve he had dug up into the skin. He listened to Ken hum under his breath as he worked, feeling himself fall in love with the blue haired man all over again.


	17. Yamato/Ken(Happy/Sappy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This has to be the worst date of Ken's life. That's okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I think I'll do a couple more of my favorite chips out of the ones i have to do for my birthday today. I'll see if I can get them posted.

Ken grumbled under his breath as he tugged at the bindings around his wrists. He considered how he managed to get to the point he was at. He had been expected to meet Yamato in the digital world, but had been delayed by work. He sent his boyfriend -they hadn't told anyone yet, Ken wasn't sure how and Yamato was okay with staying quiet- that he would be late.

He had been headed out the door when he and Wormmon had been dispatched to the warehouse he had been at earlier, to confirm that there really was nothing. They had gotten a call, after all, about someone prowling around and Ken had already been there.

Shit, where was Wormmon now?

He glanced to the right and left of him realizing that, in the dark, he would be unable to see his partner. He let out a soft curse, a throbbing in his temple telling him that he had been hit. That would account for having woken up in the bindings. And, in the small round window, he could see the darkness of night having settled around him.

He was late, headache-y, his partner wasn't around and-

"Looks like he's awake."

Right, the people that had kidnapped him were still in the area. Even better. Ken opened his eyes as he glared at the darkness, daring the figures to move closer.

"Got something to say, punk?"

He didn't flinch when he heard a rock strike the ground next to him. The aim was terrible, missing him by quite a few feet. He was confident that they wouldn't hurt him -too badly at least.

"Aim for the head," Ken suggested as the men froze, another rock dropping to the floor. "Where," his voice was ice cold when he spoke the next few words, "is Wormmon?"

"We sent that freak back to the so-called precious digital world."

There was laughter and Ken smirked. If they were dumb enough to send him to the digital world... None of the chosen children were really accepted, but they had moved on and gotten jobs. As more digimon leaked into the real world, people had to accept them at face value. Ken knew at least one other person who was on the police force with a partner of her own. The two often ended up together, and he hoped that more people with partners would one day end up on the force.

"That was a very amateur move of you."

Ken's heart beats quicker when he hears the voice. It wasn't Yamato, but-

"Ken!"

Ah, there it was. Ken worked at the bindings a moment longer, feeling the ropes snap as he shoved the knife back up into his sleeve. He stood, watching as the three adults took a step back, Garurumon appearing behind them, with Greymon to the right. Ken grew unsteady when the wall of force that was Yamato met him, the blond throwing his hands around Ken in some emotion Ken couldn't place.

"Wormmon showed up and I was worried and I didn't-"

Ken silenced Yamato with a kiss, hearing Taichi suck in a breath. Neither of them were good with public displays, but damn it, his boyfriend was the absolute best if he was willing to track him down.

He's breathing hard and blushing when Ken pulls away. His eyes are narrowed to slits, Taichi coughing into his hand. Ken glances over his shoulder to see that the three men had run off, Yamato taking a step back.

"So..." Taichi scratched the back of his head, Ken raising an eyebrow as he waited for the comments that would come. When none did, Yamato pulled him close once more. Neither of them cared and, by the wild beating of Yamato's heart, Ken was willing to accept the closeness to reassure his boyfriend that he was okay.

"Three years," Ken supplied to Taichi's unasked question.

"No way."

"Yeah," Yamato finally managed to respond, Taichi glancing between them before he took a look at Agumon, who had devolved. The digimon blinked, looking up at Taichi with a frown.

"Takeru doesn't even know." Yamato assures his friend and the three of them with their partners -a worried Wormmon crawling over to Ken as soon as Yamato gave him the space- walked out of the warehouse, Taichi still staring at them in surprise.


	18. Taichi/Taichi(crack)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's always loops that people get stuck in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~~~

Taichi had faced many weird things in his life. He thought his life was rife with them. But, standing in a clearing on a island in the middle of nowhere when he had just been fighting in a fight in Tokyo -against Vamdemon no less- had to be the weirdest thing that happened.

That included the whole trip to the digital world, snowing in August, everything up to the current point in time. Which, had been pretty weird.

The eleven year old ran a hand through his hair, looking around the clearing as he tried to understand what he was meant to do. He placed his hands around his mouth, beginning to shout in hopes that it would bring him the sort of attention that he wanted, rather than someone that he really didn't want to deal with.

"If you yell just a little bit louder, you may attract the attention of something you don't want to."

Taichi turned when he heard a voice, blinking as he watched an... older him?

"I remember that same confused feeling on my face when I ended up on this island." Teenage Taichi stretched, yawning. "We will get off, in due time. But there is important knowledge that I must impart to you if you want to get out of here."

"Important knowledge?" Taichi blinked as teenage him scratched the back of his head, considering the question before nodding.

"Yeah, you know... Words of wisdom, things to not do, that kind of stuff." His face turned dark as he stepped towards Taichi, resting a hand on his younger self.

"Do not trust Motomiya Daisuke."

"Who?" Taichi blinked as the older him sighed.

"Same exact thing I asked. I forgot my own advice and I ended up on this island. Whelp, not much I can do but say that I at least tried. Hey, you know, that's probably what this whole thing is about. You can't change fate, right? I got stuck here because I didn't follow my own advice." He sighed, linking his hands behind his head. "But a person can try, right?"

Taichi took a breath as the other him moved. "You've got to be kidding me. Where's Agumon?"

"Not here,"

Taichi's gaze swung around the clearing as the older him talked. "Why shouldn't I trust this Motomiya kid?"

The older him laughed, a pleasant smile on his face. "If I told you that, there wouldn't be any reason for me to be here, huh? I wouldn't take my advice. I know I didn't take my own advice. The fact that we're having this conversation means that you probably won't follow your own advice. Or, you'll forget about it. Come on kid, you're about to wake up."

Taichi opened his mouth, finding that the older him was right. He was back in the fight with Vamdemon, Angewomon and Angemon firing their arrows at him and Yamato. No time had passed, but the words still haunted him.

Do not trust Motomiya Daisuke.

Whoever that was anyway. Maybe this time, he would listen to his own advice.


	19. Taichi/Taichi/Taichi(Crack)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You hate this island, you absolutely hate it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: I picture the 02 kids for this around fifteen and seventeen cause, whoooops.

When you wake up on the island, you're not sure what happened. You remember the last time you were there, being told you shouldn't have trusted Daisuke -damn it, you had been right, why didn't you take your own advice anyway?

The sound of someone laughing brings your attention to the clearing that you knew. It was covered in purple flowers, the breeze strong. You see the younger you -the you you were when you had first seen the island- but, beyond you, there was another you.

This one was older, goggles dangling around his neck, rather than sitting atop his head. He looked tired, though he was laughing at the younger you, who was... Telling jokes?

Last time you had been there, you were certain that there was only one you. But, now that you think about it... You had talked to someone before you found the younger you, right? You weren't sure, only that the train of thought was giving you a headache.

You pick yourself up and walk over to the other two you's and wave at them tentatively. The younger you's eyes go wide and you tell him to not trust Daisuke Motomiya, the fucker that he is. Only, you know that you won't listen to your own advice, so you don't tell yourself why he could not be trusted.

After all, you wouldn't want to spoil anything, right? Might as well learn the lesson when it comes up. After your chat with yourself, you see him blink. Strange, last time you saw him, he had disappeared right away. But, that was before there was an older you standing on the island, looking amused.

"So, you're probably wondering why both of you are here today..." The older you begins, cracking a smile. He spreads his hands, gesturing towards the island and you along with the younger you nod in agreement, sharing a baffled look.

"Seriously, Adventure Taichi, don't go trusting Daisuke when you're older." Older you says and the Adventure you frowns.

"Adventure?"

"It'll make sense later. You, '02 Taichi, you knew not to trust him, yet you did it anyway." The older you looks at you, raising an eyebrow. "I bet it was good while it lasted, right?"

Fuck, you had gotten drunk. Maybe this was all some sort of horrendous nightmare caused by booze. One could hope. You could hope.

"Nope, not alcohol. Though you are still pretty drunk and will probably throw up on Daisuke in the morning~" Older you chimed. "Call me Tri Taichi, just so we can keep this all straight."

He leveled a finger at Adventure Taichi, winking. You frown as the younger you also frowns. "What-" he begins.

"You'll end up trusting Daisuke even though you've told yourself not to. It's hard not to trust that boy." Tri Taichi turns to look at you, waggling his eyebrows before he turns back to Adventure Taichi. "You'll go back to the battle in Tokyo in a moment. I just want a moment to look at myself and see what I still have to live for."

"Who are you?" You and Adventure Taichi ask at the same time. You exchange a glance as Tri Taichi laughs.

"Oh, I'm you, obviously! I'm from the future." Tri Taichi teases, winking at the both of you. "Neither of you will take this suggestion either, but don't fuck Yamato. It ends up not being worth the drama afterwards."

"Ew! Gross!" Adventure Taichi exclaims, clasping his hands over his ears. "He's such a prick."

"Damn, that's hot." You grin at the thought of fucking Yamato, watching the older you let out a sigh and face palm. Damn, did you really look that stupid doing it? Maybe you should stop...

"Okay, point aside, you won't take that suggestion either. Look, when you come here for the third time, don't say I didn't warn you."

The three you's look up when you hear a forth set of footsteps, each of you exchanging a glance as a cool, way cool, older you steps into the island with a grimace.

"Whatever you do, don't fuck Ichijouji Ken." The fourth you collapses on the ground, becoming a pile of ashes as he drifts upwards on the breeze.

"So, are we clear?" Tri Taichi asks.

"What is this place?" You ask.

"Ah, '02 me, this is the place where I go when I nearly die due to dumb mistakes. I should be waking up-"

Tri Taichi vanishes in a flash of light, leaving you and younger you by yourselves, confused by what he had meant by that.

Oh, wait, that's right. You had taken a hit from the digimon right after waking up with a massive hangover. It had been an enraged Stingmon that had attacked you for... Oh fuck. You turn to your younger self, resting your hands on his shoulders.

"Whatever you do, do not trust Motomiya Daisuke."

And, with a poof, you vanish, leaving the younger you very confused.


	20. Yamato/Jou(Funny)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was meant to be, the rock star and the doctor. Just, not... like that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whistles* Man, this was so fucking funny to write.

"So, you see, I was walking across the street when I saw the most amazing person ever. I never thought I'd see someone better. And, that's how I ended up here."

The doctor looked at the blond who was sitting on the waiting table, his broken arm held at an awkward angle. He couldn't tell if it was the drugs that was causing the man to ramble but-

"Aren't you the musician that got super popular several years ago? Knife of Day, right?"

The blond let out a massive grin. "So you _have_ heard of me! I just love it when people have. It makes me feel so much better about..." He grimaced as he glanced down at his arm. "Is this supposed to hurt?"

"What... kind of painkillers did you take?"

The blond frowned, meeting the doctor's eyes. "Vitamin you."

"Yamato!"

The blue haired man turned to look at the blond that peeked his head through the door. He offered the doctor an apologetic look, stepping in. "I'm sorry, he was doing a stage dive and broke his arm in the process. That was last night and refused to go to the hospital. I thought he was at home, resting. He probably took an oxycodone."

Yamato snorted. "I only took three of them."

"He has a high pain tolerance, but..." The other blond sighed. "I'm his brother, Takaishi Takeru. And his stage manager. I am really sorry about him."

The doctor blinked, looking between the two blonds. "Why didn't you bring him to the ER yesterday?"

"I hate doctors." Yamato frowned, looking at Jou once more. "But you, you I would bang on the table if you as-" Yamato let out a muffled protest as Takeru clasped a hand over his mouth, looking horrified. He grimaced when Yamato licked his hand, shooting him a glare.

"I am _really_ sorry about my brother." Takeru whispered, his voice strained. Yamato rolled his eyes, the doctor letting out a sigh.

"We'll have to set the bone and put it in a cast. I... Would not suggest taking any more pain killers at this point." The doctor raised an eyebrow, Yamato sighing as Takeru pulled his hand away and wiped the spit from Yamato's tongue onto his brother's shirt.

"Please, don't offer him any." Takeru begged.

"You don't have to offer me pain killers, but can I offer you my number? I think when I fell off the stage, it was meant to be just for this reason."

The doctor coughed, clearing his throat and stepping out of the room to call for a nurse to assist with the setting of the bone. Takeru turned, smacking his brother.

"Idiot," he hissed, Yamato rolling his eyes.

"He has a nice ass." He said, innocently.

Takeru just sighed as the doctor returned with a nurse and the items needed to set the bone and get it a cast.

***

"Hello?"

Yamato picked up the phone when he heard it ring, answering it when he didn't recognize the number. It was two weeks since _the visit_ to the ER that he and Takeru had both decided to never talk about again, the hazy memories still making him groan in embarrassment.

"Hello, this is Kido Jou. We met at the ER two weeks ago?"

"Oh god," Yamato grimaced, Takeru glancing towards him. They were surrounded by paperwork, Takeru and he working on the next tour dates for the band. Takeru frowned as Yamato closed his eyes, feeling his cheeks flush.

"Oh, so I suppose you didn't mean to scrawl your number all over my paper work with a note to call you?"

"Oh god." Yamato repeated the words, Takeru raising his eyebrow higher at his brother.

"You know, it's not many men who flirt with me."

Yamato felt his face burn hotter, hearing Jou laugh.

"Want to get drinks with me tomorrow?"

Yamato blinks, glancing down at his cast. Takeru raised his other eyebrow, frowning at his brother. "Drinks, tomorrow? Uh, sure, what time?"

"Oh my god," Takeru whispered hiding his face in his hands. "He called you."

"How about seven?" Jou suggested. "We can talk about the things you said while you were high off pain killers. Starting with banging me on the table?"

"Oh fucking god," Yamato whispered to himself as the hazy memory became suddenly sharper. He heard Jou laugh again, Yamato sinking into his seat.

"I'll see you at seven then!"

Yamato hung up the phone after confirming, Takeru staring at him.

"It was the doctor, wasn't it?"

"Fuck," Yamato whispered as Takeru began to laugh, the sounds echoing around the room.


	21. Yamato/Jou(Serious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't remember the last time he had seen them, but it had to have been after Taichi's death when he fled from his responsibilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death, suicide mention(brief), alcohol, drugs(brief)
> 
> Not a happy Serious story. Whoops.

The young blond sat at the end of the bar, feeling the stares of the women. He had heard them chattering all night, politely declining those that would come up to ask him to drink with them, to dance with them. To be with them, just one night.

He held himself above it all, the pain swirling around in his heart. He had a drink in front of him, only half drunk, the first oen he had ordered when he walked in. The ice was melted, his eyes half lidded as he listened to the music.

"You okay there, Ishida?"

His eyes snapped open to look at Gill, grimacing as he purple haired man leaned his elbow on the bar, his chin in his hand.

"You look like you're about to fall asleep into your drink."

Yamato cocked him a smile, tipping his head back and downing the harsh alcohol in one gulp. He felt the burn flare through him, reviving his dead limbs.

"Just a lot on my mind, Gill."

The server cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't that what you always say?"

Yamato let out a laugh, glancing over his shoulder and inching closer. "You remember the big stink over the Digital World, years ago?"

Gill nodded, raising an eyebrow in quiet interest. He knew Yamato, had made friends with him in a way anyone else really couldn't. He knew that Yamato didn't talk about himself, even when everyone pried. What else would such a handsome looking blond haired man be doing in a bar, if it weren't to pick anyone up? "Sure, there was the kid that died."

Yamato lifted his free hand, resting it on the band of the goggles. His gaze burned and he blinked away the tears that had seemed to form.

"Yagami Taichi." The other server, Jill -not to be mistaken, though the two names were both pronounced the same-, pipped up. He watched as the two glanced at each other before glancing at Yamato. "Holy shit," Jill whispered.

"Bingo," Yamato winked, looking into the glass he held. "You wouldn't believe the restrictions they placed on the ones that had partners. Of course, when they became more common, it became problematic. The original chosen were already being watched. We caused the most damage, see? It didn't matter that one of us had died." He tightened his grip on the goggles.

Gill cleared his throat, glaring at the woman that was pretending to not overhear Yamato's story. She met Gill's eyes before fleeing, the bar nearly cleared out after that.

"Anyway, I led the group, after he died. Koromon's his partner. He lives with me now, and Gabumon. He sleeps a lot. I sometimes think..." Yamato's smile was more of a grimace as he stared at the wood of the bar, his hand letting go of the glass finally. "I haven't seen any of the others in about five years. The lone wolf does not make a good leader."

Gill took a breath, setting a second drink in front of Yamato. It was customary for him to drink two each time he was in. One was for the near four hours that he contemplated everything he wanted to. The second one was to drink quickly before going out the door.

Jill reached forward, resting a hand on Yamato's outstretched hand. "What happened to the others?"

"I'm sure they're still around." Yamato shrugged. "Haven't spoken to them in years-"

They turned when they heard laughter, a woman sitting on a man's lap who looked quite uncomfortable by the contact. Yamato took the second drink when Jill moved her hand, bringing it to his lips. He took a swallow of the burning liquor, appreciating the fact that it was pure. He hated it, the burning made him want to sob. But it was what he needed to drink in order to think straight.

"Please, leave me alone."

He set the empty glass on the bar when he heard the voice, pushing himself off the stool. The voice was accented English, the woman seeming to laugh and pretend to not understand what he was saying. Gill and Jill looked at each other, Gill opening his mouth as Yamato turned towards them.

"He said move."

Yamato's voice was brittle as the woman turned to look at him, brown eyes narrowing. She was tall, hair looking like a mane. Yamato recalled her having come over earlier in the night, flashing her nearly bare chest in his direction. He had rolled her eyes and told her to get lost. His gaze took in the man next to her, the blue haired man with glasses who looked uneasy, who had-

"Gomamon?"

Yamato stared at the digimon, the digimon staring back at him. The woman pushed herself away in annoyance, the seal digimon looking up in excitement.

"Told you this was a good idea, Jou!" He said, nudging his partner. Yamato glanced at his drink, realizing it was already gone as he glanced at Gill.

"This was the seventh bar in four days. It was a hunch you had." Jou protested but he stood, looking relieved to be away from the woman. He adjusted his glasses, walking over to Yamato.

"You looking for me?" Yamato asked, voice full of fake innocence as he pointed at himself. "I think you have the wrong blond. We're a dime a dozen, here in the city."

"Damn it, Ishida,"

The blond blinked, surprised to hear the tone of voice from Jou. It was a moment before he felt the hand around his collar, his eyes narrowing as Jou came close to his face.

"Uh, Jou, I don't think that's how you greet a friend." Gomamon bounded over to the pair, Gill and Jill already working on keeping the crowd away from the two. It was never a good idea to get near a fight when one of the pair had a digimon with them. There had been too many accidental casualties that way.

"Do you know how worried we've been?" Jou demanded, dropping Yamato back down. Jou was taller than him, which surprised, but shouldn't have surprised, Yamato. The blond ran a hand through his hair, considering his options before offering him a shrug.

"I told you I was coming to America. I've been in contact with Takeru."

He messaged his brother once a month, give or take a couple of weeks here and there between the odd jobs he took on. Yamato didn't need the money, but he felt better when he was working. And it felt better knowing that he was providing for both Koromon and Gabumon that way.

"What about the rest of us?" Jou demanded.

"Four of us disappeared, one of us died. Koushiro became immersed in his program when he realized that four of us disappeared; Mimi flaked completely and wouldn't talk to us for two years; Hikari became a suicide statistic; Sora threw herself into work; and Takeru... Well, you've seen what sort of mess he's been the past year or so, I'm sure."

Drinking, drugs, suicide, it had become common in the chosen children. The problems ran rampant and no one understood why. They had their partners, but something else had been coming up and killing them. It was, however, something that was unstudied because they didn't warrant enough attention.

Sure, they could get money just for existing, but no one cared about the children that went through wars.

"Mimi was found dead last week."

Jou's voice pierced through the fog that had surrounded Yamato. He looked up at Jou, opening his mouth.

"Palmon was deleted, not revived. Koushiro was found dead five months ago. The killings of several chosen have been all over the news. Your brother is frantic because he hasn't heard from you in nearly two months. I offered to come find you. You... Didn't know, did you?"

Yamato stared, blinking, as he tried to organize his thoughts. They were jumbled, confusing. He had heard about murders, but he hadn't-

"They thought you were dead."

The words sunk into his brain, Jou resting a hand on Yamato's shoulder. They had sat like this, just before Yamato disappeared into another country. It was easy to get lost among the press of the people. He felt himself shake, Jou pulling him into a hug. He heard someone whisper something, Gill suggesting they shove up and out, that the bar was closing early that day.

Yamato clung to Jou, hiding his face.

"I thought you were dead." Jou whispered, the unspoken phrases lingering between each word. Yamato swallowed, pulling away and meeting Jou's eyes.

"How-?"

"Same thing that killed Ichijouji, Inoue, Motomiya, and Hida."

The words sent a shudder down Yamato's spine. So they had found the four missing children and they had been killed.

"Please come home, Yamato."

He looked up, meeting Jou's worried gaze. The unspoken anger that had been there was gone now, his eyes worried. Yamato looked away, closing his eyes. They had fought, right before he had left, taking both digimon with him. He felt his hands shaking, words coming to mind.

"You are the leader now, in the absence of Taichi. Please, Yamato, come home. Sora and Takeru need you. I need you," Jou whispered, Gomamon pressing closer to them. They were four, where once they had been twelve. He nodded, Jou leaning down and kissing him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Yamato swallowed, closing his eyes and letting out a low breath. He could face his fears, he could be with the ones that he needed to be.

He had run, to escape the weight of death. But, with each day, that death had only built and he hadn't even seen it. "I only need a few things and then we can go." Yamato speaks, feeling as if he's not himself as he and Jou move, Gomamon following but asking very few questions.

They had a lot of work to do, but Yamato could pull himself together, if only to save the others. He had to.


	22. Yamato/Jou(Happy/Sappy)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of the Funny Yamato/Jou.

"Yamato, you never told me how you and Jou began dating."

Yamato choked on the food when he heard his best friend since he was child ask the question. It was an innocent question, the rock star looking up at the football player.

"Oh, well... you know." He glanced over when Jou sat down at the table, across from where Koushiro was tapping his fingers against the table.

"He was high off pain killers and asked me on a date." Jou supplied, easily picking up the thread of the conversation. The double date was taken at a place that wouldnt' let anyone know they were there. It was nice, sometimes, to know the owner of the restaurant, when they wanted private dates.

Taichi raised an eyebrow. "High off pain killers?" He asked, leaning forward as if he didn't hear correctly.

"You know the night I broke my arm?" Yamato asked.

"Yeah, falling off the stage." Taichi snorted, Jou raising an eyebrow. Yamato groaned, recalling that he had slipped on someone's underwear of all things and had been too close to the edge. He had reached out to catch himself and ended up breaking his arm in the process. He finished the concert, went home and to bed. Takeru had been the reason that you he had gone to the doctor's at all that next day. "You put the 'no throwing underwear onto the stage' rule in place after that."

"The...what rule?" Jou asked in amusement.

"You never told him why you ended up in the ER?" Taichi grinned, Yamato hiding his face. He felt Jou thread an arm over his shoulder, the man laughing.

"Of course, he fell off the stage." Jou winked at Yamato when he caught a look at his face. it was so easy between them. The date had been nice, of course Yamato had to duck several different groups of people that had recognized him and he had been stressed. But, when he and Jou had gone steady, Jou had agreed that staying home was much more his speed. They only started going on double dates when Koushiro invited them, much to Taichi's bemusement.

Jou had been the one to accept and, once a month, they had gone on double dates. So far, nothing had been caught wind by the public. Taichi, the popular football star and Yamato, the ever lonesome rock star, were just two studs unwilling to settle down.

It wasn't like either of them hadn't been married for three years now. Yamato resting his head on Jou's shoulder, narrowing his eyes.

"I was hoping that story would never be made public."

"Man, it was all over the news for like three weeks. How many other rock stars do you know that fell off a stage from someone's-" he began.

"Please, can we change the subject?" Koushiro spoke up, his gaze darting between Taichi and Yamato. Jou laughed, glancing at Yamato thoughtfully.

"How has work been for you, Mr. Big Time Doctor?" Taichi asked, his gaze settling on Jou. The pair began to speak back and forth, Yamato reveling in the peace and comfort his partner brought. He was overjoyed that his comments had reached Jou.

And he wouldn't trade it for the world.


	23. Hikari/Ken(Serious) - Digatama Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The years wore you down, but still you managed to find some semblance of peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeaaah, more to this universe cause it wouldn't leave me alone why I was gardening.

Hikari knelt in the bed, feeling the dirt between her fingers as she dug the hole. It was five years after her brother's death. Four and a half years of an... more or less interesting marriage with Yamato. In which neither of them had spoken to each other for the first two years beyond simple statements.

Two years of starting to learn to enjoy it, to stop flinching away from him whenever he would appear out of the corner of her eye.

Half a year of staying at the main home of the Digatama, where Ichijouji had begun to gather everyone. She looked up when she heard footsteps, her gaze catching the sight of Tailmon as she darted through the green. Since she and the digimon had met, four years prior, they had hardly been apart.

Her phone was tucked in her pocket, a ringtone set to let her know when Mia would be returning from her outing with Miyako and her children. She had been anxious to let her go, but knew it would do no good to keep her cooped up in the house for the rest of her life.

"Ichijouji-san."

She sat back on her heels when she heard his footsteps, having found a certain peace in working in the garden. The man stopped just short of the front of the bed she was working on, his gaze scanning the vegetables she had been planting.

Since coming to the home, she had dedicated her time to working in the garden. There had been little complaint as the others were ejoying the supplimented food.

"How are you doing today, Hikari-san?" Ken asked, his voice like velvet.

Hikari smiled at him, a pleasant look that she could offer. "I'm well, and yourself?"

They rarely interacted, after Hikari had married Yamato. Just for the better, she was reminded of her brother when she saw him. She was certain that he felt the same way. He regarded her for a moment more, moving to kneel down beside her and look at the lettuce she was planting.

"I am curious."

"Curious?"

Hikari tilted her head, feeling the brush of hair across her shoulders. It was hot enough that she was down to a tank top, not worried by those that may be coming by. There were, after all, no more than fifteen people in the house at any given time, including staff.

"Do you plan on telling Haru about her father?"

Hikari didn't stop working, her fingers digging into the soil around the plant she had transferred. "Yamato is her father. She knows him well enough, I would think."

"You know what I mean."

Hikari shifted, picking up her head and staring at Ken, her gaze going cold. "He made the decision when he shot himself to not take the responsibilities that he should have."

"I would have killed him, if he hadn't gotten to it first." Ken's voice was pleasant, as if they were only discussing the weather, rather than the ugly topic that Takaishi Takeru had become.

"I'm sure there would have been a line." Hikari paused meeting Ken's gaze. "Is this all that you have come out here to discuss, Ichijouji-san?"

"Do you miss your brother?"

Hikari frowned at the question, confusion crossing her face. "Of course I do. His absence grates on me every day I have to remember that he is gone. It was the same as when he first left and tried to vanish. But you followed him."

"And what do you think of me?"

Hikari sighed, moving on to the next plant. "I think that you are blight on this world. But, without you, I would have never met Tailmon. It is a double edged sword, what I feel towards you and what I harbor in my heart. But nothing would have protected Taichi from Takaishi."

Ken let out a small hum of agreement, his eyes on the lettuce Hikari was planting. She didn't move when he came up close, resting a hand on her shoulder. It didn't surprise her when he kissed her, hard. His mouth lingered a moment longer, Hikari letting out a passive sigh before being the one to move away.

"Do you sleep with anything that moves, Ichijouji-san?"

He offered a small shrug. "Mostly," he admits. "I must say, you're about the only one I haven't slept with, out of the twelve people that came from the eleven families. I was wondering what it was like."

Hikari suppressed a smile, moving to stand as she planted the last lettuce head. "I must say, I'm not interested." It was the same phrasing she had given to Yamato, before he had even dared to ask her. He had been understanding and they had agreed to not press the matter on either side.

"I loved him."

Hikari looked at Ken, watching the lost gaze on his face.

"Taichi, I loved him. Since I first met him, I knew he was to be mine. I would have killed Takaishi, if it meant bringing him back. I am sorry that you were dragged into this mess."

"And his child?"

Ken turned, looking at Hikari. "I see a child who will grow into the Ishida-Yagami name and nothing else."

"Her partner is a Koromon."

Ken nodded, standing and brushing the dirt from his knees. Hikari watched him, saw the confused and longing look on his face before he walked away, towards the main house. She let out a long sigh, hearing the alarm that signaled her child and the others would be home in fifteen minutes.

Just enough time to clean up and get the taste of Ken out of her mouth.


	24. Hikari/Ken(Funny)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikari knew her boyfriend had odd tastes.
> 
> But damn, he really did look good in that dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough* I have no explanation for this, except maid dresses.

"Ken?"

The man froze when he heard the voice, looking over his shoulder to see his girlfriend standing in the doorway. It was nearly one in the morning, the man having stayed up late to get some work done. It had ended in Daisuke and Takeru coming over and a game of 'Who is going to attempt to get Ichijouji drunk'.

Of course she knew they were coming over. This was not the issue.

The issue was he was wearing a maid's dress, with make-up expertly applied by none other than Takeru, while Daisuke was laughing his ass off and taking pictures of all things.

To be fair, he wasn't drunk. Takeru and Daisuke were. He had lost a bet and this had been the end result. What Takeru and Daisuke didn't know was the fact that Ken stayed well hydrated while they drank. It ensured that he didn't have a hangover and, what they should have learned by now, that Ken had a high tolerance for alcohol.

How was he suppose to know that Jou and Yamato had hooked up with Taichi? Why had he even agreed to this stupid bet in the first place.

He met Hikari's gaze, his face blazing hot as she arched an eyebrow. Her gaze shifted over to Takeru and Daisuke, both who had gone stone still. Daisuke looked horrified while Takeru looked like he was about to bolt. She didn't question why Angemon and Stingmon were also wearing maid outfits, she didn't want to know.

"So, how clean is the apartment?" She walked through the door, setting her purse on the rack and taking off her shoes. Ken melted under the question, hiding his face in shame as the two digimon devolved, racing to their partners. They knew what the mellow tone could mean. From Hikari, it was either anger or amusement.

Ken let out a sigh at the question, glancing down as Wormmon jumped into his arms.

Hikari stared at them, her gaze travelling from Daisuke to Takeru as the silence lengthened.

"How drunk are you two?" She sighed, watching as Ken folded in on himself and sat in a chair, keeping Wormmon on her lap. Takeru and Daisuke looked at each other, Hikari hearing V-mon's snoring from the couch.

"Pretty drunk." Patamon offered in the silence. Hikari nodded, her gaze landing on the small digimon.

"I'll make up the guest bedroom then." She walked over to Ken, smirking as she rested a hand on his shoulder. She leaned in close, her lips barely brushing his ear.

"Can you fuck me wearing that?" She breathed, feeling Ken go still, his face blushing. She kissed him on the cheek, heading towards the guest bedroom and laughing all the way there.


	25. Hikari/Ken(Happy/Sappy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years down the way, she understands very little from the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I've been having family issues. I don't know if I'll be writing a whole lot in the next couple of weeks. I have a grandparent in hospice, so I don't know what kind of schedule I'll have in...just, yeah.

The woman sat at the table, her fingers tracing the claw marks in the wood that had once been left by a very angry Tailmon. She was old, her hair going grey, though she felt not old at all. The clock behind her ticked, the woman glancing up when she heard a knock on the door.

Before she moved, her partner was there, opening the door and beckoning the grandchildren in. There were four of them in total, the sight making Hikari smile despite herself. They had had three children in total, two having survived the turbulent times that they had lived in.

"Grandma, will you tell us a story?"

The children were already piling around the table, Hikari placing her hand flat to hide the claw marks. She saw Tailmon hop up on the stool, settling herself in the always available space that was Hikari's lap.

"What sort of tale do you want to hear?" She asked, resting her hand on Tailmon's head. Only the oldest, who was just barely eleven, had a digimon. A Minomon that was nestled safely into his arms.

"How did you and grandpa meet?" The young man -named Ken after his father's father, bless the devil- asked, eyes flashing in amusement.

"Don't you have that story memorized by now?" Hikari clicked her tongue, shaking her head as Ken shook his own, hair falling in his face. "Very well.... You know the story of the digimon kaiser?"

They nodded, looking up at Hikari. She threaded her fingers through Tailmon's fur, thinking of her husband who had passed not more than three years ago. It still hurt her, to this day. She should have felt bitter that it was Daisuke by his side, instead of her, but it felt right that his jogress partner had been there, as she had been there for Miyako instead of Daisuke.

"I'll tell you a secret." She leaned forward, meeting each of their gazes. "You've gone over the history of the Kaiser and what he did to the digital world, and how Ken helded us defeat the oens that were controlling the Kaiser, in your schooling?"

The children nodded, the oldest almost seeming to puff out his chest. "They didn't believe me when I told them that it was you and my grandfather that was the historical figures!"

Hikari smiled, remembering the day well that Ken had come, crying to her rather than his parents, on how they didn't believe that he really was Ken Ichijouji's grandson, despite sharing his name. Hikari and Tailmon had made a special trip to his school, which had both embarrassed and impressed him.

It wasn't often that an eighty year old woman showed up on an ultimate digimon to show her grandson was right when it came to his saying she was his grandmother. Sometimes, she was very much like her brother in that aspect.

"The Kaiser was also Ken."

She waited while the children all looked at each other, confusion spreading across their faces. She raised a hand, waiting for the protests to die down before she continued. "When he was younger, he went to the digital world with Akiyama Ryo. He was influenced by a thing called the dark spore. There are pieces of our history that we did not tell anyone. Even Uncle TK's story were changed, to protect everything that happened."

She paused, frowning. "How could he have been the Kaiser?" Ken asked, a look of shock crossing his face.

Hikari let out a sigh. Their children knew. They knew when they were younger. It had been wiser to tell them, when there was still so much speculation as to who the Kaiser was. She felt Tailmon move, jumping off the chair.

"Do you want the photo album, Hikari?"

"Yes please." Hikari waited as Tailmon fetched the object, returning with it after several minutes. Hikari placed it on the table, flipping to the only picture she had of the Kaiser.

"I took this by accident, before we knew Ken was the Kaiser." She passed it to the children, watching their eyes find the picture. It was only a little blurry, the Kaiser standing there with his whip uncoiled, Wormmon flinching away from something. She flipped to the next page, showing a picture of a smiling Ken and the same Wormmon nearly two years later.

"Why didn't you delete it?" Ken asked, curious.

Hikari shrugged. "I thought it was worth something, part of our history, if you will say. Even if it was a terrible piece, it was still part of it. I love Ken and he is truly the child of kindness. He was infected with an evil that none of us could comprehend. But, we helped each other and got through it. I never gave up hope that the light would reach him. And it did."

She smiled as the kids sat back, impressed by her story. She watched Ken cling to Minomon tighter, a look of determination on his face.

"I'll do grandfather proud." The child promised, Hikari smiling at him.

"I am sure you will. He was already proud of you kids before he passed." She reached up, touching the necklace Ken had given her and shivering. It was nice, to know that the grandchildren could understand what had happened. She only hoped they understood what needed to be understood.


	26. Taichi/Jou(serious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Musings from the unstable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a couple weeks, but I'm back at this. I haven't forgotten, I promise! Just had a death in the family.
> 
> TW: Suicide mentions

This was a story that neither myself nor my significant other really liked to tell, but it was the one that started us down the path that we ended up on.

In our youth, we had fought a war. It wasn't the kind of war that they tell you about in history books, but it was the kind of war that left an impression on the children that survived it. And it wasn't the kind of war where we did all the fighting, but our digital monster partners did the fighting.

The digimon, that was a long time ago. And it still hurts to think about them. We were kids, hardly older than eleven, when our summer camp started to have strange weather. That's when we got sucked into the digital world. There was seven of us, to begin with. We met our partners, some with better luck than others at the beginning. It's hard to think about it, now.

It feels so long ago... But, I suppose, in one person's point of view, it was years ago while we, we thing it was just the other day. We spent months wandering the digital world, growing and becoming powerful, our partners that is did the growing.

We grew in our own ways, though it wasn't as noticeable in some as it was in others. We had the leader, the medic, the lone wolf, the happy ones, the brainiac. It was a well rounded group.

It was that visit to the real world that caused issues. See, we had spent time in the digital world and we had grown. While the time in the human world... It had been stagnant. We were older than when we had left and it caused issues. A lot of issues. Even more so when it came to finding the eighth chosen child.

We spent at least three years in that place. And to pull someone who had not spent any time there... it felt wrong, but there was nothing we could do about it. And we spent another year, maybe more there, trying to tie up lose ends. There were fractions and cracks among us.

And I felt helpless through it all, even as I tried to keep everyone together. And, at the end of it, it didn't matter because we went home and we still had to deal with those issues of growing up when everything else was stagnant. It wasn't a problem for some of us, but others... it effected deeply, I suppose.

We kept close. We caught up with schooling. It wasn't like we had missed the time that we were away, but due to our ages, we were put in different classes. And, when the digital world started acting up once more, it was harder to meet with the new kids because some of us were nearing what shouldn't have been our eighteenth birthday but was.

I had fallen in love in that time, and had watched everyone I knew grow. I had watched, and I had hid in the shadows. But, in the end, it wouldn't matter.

See, there was an affect about growing up when you aren't ready that really struck some of us. We didn't want to let go of our childhood, but we were forced to. And so, several of us ended it. When there is only eight people who understand what you go through and four of them decide to end it, there's not much more you can do for them.

It's why I cling to the person I love, let him know that I'm there for him. Even as he grows more and more stressed, and I urge us to take breaks. There's nothing that can be good for trying to survive in a world that doesn't want us. Koushiro locked himself away, searching for a way back and he... he dived into his studies to shove it all away. I sit now, by his side as always, and keep reminding him to eat.

Maybe, one day, we can be normal. Maybe, one day, I can remind them that it was worth something. Maybe we'll see our digital friends again. Our partners, and maybe... Maybe we'll fade away because we are not what we are meant to be. We're not meant to be here and I understand why several of them did what they did.

But, Jou and I will remain here, until the end to offer the guidance to others who suffer.

Maybe, we'll find our own peace that way.

Maybe we won't.


	27. Taichi/Jou(Happy/Sappy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of things he wouldn't admit to being worried about. Rejection had always been the biggest one.

"Funny meeting you here."

Taichi looked down at Jou as the lanky man adjusted his glasses, glancing over his shoulder.

"I was invited, wasn't I?" He shoved his hands in his pockets, Taichi letting out a slow smirk before he grabbed one of Jou's arms, pulling him towards the others.

"Look at what the Tailmon dragged in!" His comment earned him an eye roll from the said Tailmon in the party, Mimi waving as Jou joined them in the group. "I thought you said you couldn't come." Taichi dropped his voice as Jou glanced over the group. He adjusted his glasses, frowning.

"I was informed that I needed a break from my studies." Jou shifted, allowing Taichi to guide him towards the edge of the onsen as the others began to break into their respective gendered groups and go into the changing rooms. Taichi let go of Jou, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm not saying you don't but..."

Jou raised an eyebrow as Taichi hesitated.

"You just usually don't."

"I know and I'm trying to change that now. Maybe... Maybe I want to spend more of my time with my friends, rather than with my books."

Taichi raised an eyebrow, considering what had happened in the past few months. He saw Gomamon peak around Jou's leg, smiling at the digimon and squatting down. "You making sure he takes regular breaks?"

"Of course!" The seal digimon bounded over to Taichi, allowing the other to scoop him up into a hug. "Are you taking care of Agumon?"

Taichi laughed at the question. "He was passed out on the bed with no intentions of moving. How he can eat my mother's cooking, I'll never know." He let the digimon down, Gomamon returning to jou's side as Taichi stepped closer.

"Have you told anyone yet?"

Taichi was caught off guard by the question as he looked up at Jou, running a hand through his hair. At the age of twenty three, Taichi felt tired. "No, not yet. I thought I could do it at dinner tonight but..."

"You want to give up your dream, right?" Jou asked.

Taichi grimaced. "I don't think it was ever a dream to become an ambassador of anything." He reached out, taking Jou's hand and offering him a shrug. "You're getting your degree and starting in an actual practice, huh?"

"Three more weeks, last couple of tests... I don't think I can do it." He mumbled, dropping his gaze. Taichi shifted, resting a hand on Jou's shoulder.

"You've come this far!" He smiled, though it was strained as he saw how tired Jou looked. "Three weeks and then you and I can go on the trip that we deserve."

"Hey, what about me?" Gomamon asked, looking up from his spot. Jou laughed, scooping his partner up in his arms.

"I can't find anyone to babysit you if I tried. The last time I tried, you terrorized Mimi."

"I just don't like being left behind." Gomamon sniffed, Taichi taking a step forward and ruffling his mane of hair.

"Don't worry, both you and Agumon are coming along. We even got an extra room for privacy."

"That's so sweet of you." Gomamon looked from Jou to Taichi, growing serious. "Have you told anyone yet?"

"You don't think they know by now?" Taichi frowned, Jou looking up at him.

"I'd be surprised if they didn't."

Taichi sighed, nodding in agreement. He took one of Jou's hand, allowing him to shift Gomamon to one arm as they stepped towards the changing rooms. The others had left by then, leaving the pair alone. Taichi admired the view as Jou changed, quickly striping and changing himself when he caught Jou's eye and raised eyebrow.

"Who are you inviting?"

"My sister and any of the others that want to come." Taichi responded, smoothing down the outfit and pulling the goggles off his neck. He remembered the adventures they had when he received them, unsurprised that Mimi had even managed to wrangle Meiko into coming to the celebration tonight. Twelve years of adventures, nine years with the new group of kids. All of them were there.

Jou stepped forward, kissing Taichi and drawing him from his thoughts. "They'll accept the news just fine. Besides, Daisuke was thrilled to step into the position."

"That's not the news I'm worried they won't like." Taichi admitted, his gaze sliding to the side. Jou tugged on his hand when he noticed that Taichi had stopped, turning to stare at him. He stepped backwards, letting go of Taichi's hand and placing his hands on the other's cheeks.

"Who cares what they think?" Jou suggested, staring into Taichi's eyes. He was taller than him, when Taichi's hair was flat. It hardly was, but when it was, Jou could appreciate it.

"Me?" Taichi offered.

Jou leaned over, kissing Taichi. He pulled away when there was a low whistle, Gomamon coughing as Yamato watched them from the doorway.

"Mimi was... wondering what was taking you so long and sent me to find you." He didn't look surprised as Taichi would have thought. He turned, walking out of the room and Jou laughed.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah I do." Taichi said, taking Jou's hand and pulling him towards the area they had agreed to meet, Gomamon letting out a sharp cry as he ran to keep up with them.


	28. Taichi/Jou(Funny)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna use "fell for the ER doctor" but had done that for Yamato so... Have this! Which is similar to that premise.

"I think it came quickly, like a football to the head!"

Taichi grinned as he raised the ice pack above his head, the man letting out a groan as he told the player to place it back there. He was watching the field nurse flirt about the area, his blue hair pulled back into a ponytail. It was often that Taichi ended up with some minor injury that had to be deal with after the fact.

It wasn't often that a ball was kicked into his face and gave him a concussion.

"I'm starting to think that you get hurt just because you like seeing me."

Taichi glanced up when he heard the nurse speak, his eyes glinting.

"So you do know how to talk! I was beginning to wonder-"

"Yagami, do you know how often you've been in the medical tent since you've started playing?"

Taichi considered the question, his gaze finding his chart on the nurse's desk before he shrugged. "A lot," he admitted. "No more than average, I would hope."

"You make football into a full on contact sport. More like the American football if you ask me."

Taichi accepted the chiding as Kido turned to him, handing him a piece of paper.

"Stop landing yourself in my tent, Yagami."

Taichi reached up, taking the note and seeing the words scrawled there, followed by Kido's number. He raised an eyebrow, the blue haired man clearing his throat.

"So, if you want to see more of me without ending up here. Call me?"

Taichi flashed him a grin, nodding and wincing as the movement jarred his head. He placed the ice pack back on his head, watching as the nurse moved around the tent. All in al, he had run the game, and he got to see Kido in tight pants. It was a good day.


	29. Taichi/Koushiro(Funny)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent most of the day in a sick dazed sleep. So, enjoy.

"You have got to hear me out."

Koushiro looked up when he heard the words, weighing how much he would regret the answer. His laptop was sitting in front of him, the code staring back at him.

"If I give you five minutes, will you let tell me what you want to and then I'll decide that it's a terrible idea so you'll leave me alone and I can get back to work?"

Taichi had the ability to look chastised, Koushiro found, when he looked up at him. The soccer player was bouncing on the seat across from him, unable to sit still long enough for Koushiro to finish anything. What he wasn't expecting was the seriousness in Taichi's eyes.

"Fine, call my ideas terrible." He flashed Koushiro a look, moving to stand. It was five quick steps to Koushiro's side before his laptop was shut. "And this is not a terrible idea, for the record."

Koushiro sighed, thanking the heavens above for auto saving. "I'm waiting."

Taichi hesitated, meeting Koushiro's gaze before dropping it once more. "You're right, it probably is stupid and I should just-"

"What's the idea?" Koushiro pressed. "You didn't come all this way to sit in my office and then lose courage in telling me because I'm being an asshole and trying to get work done."

Taichi sighed, running a hand over his face. "It's just hard to get a read on you sometimes, you know that?"

Koushiro frowned at the statement. "I'm... sorry?"

Taichi shook his head. "I've been trying to ask you on a date for the last two years and you give some sort of vague answer. You don't respond to flirting, you keep your head in your laptop and even when I do get you to out, you tend to not do anything but think about code."

"Flirting?"

Taichi sighed. "What do I have to do, spell it out for you?"

"All those times you invited me out, it wasn't just to hang out?" Koushiro felt the building sense of dread fill him, his eyes wide at the thought that Taichi had-

"Shit."

Taichi stared at Koushiro, the pair locking eyes before Koushiro looked away.

"I thought you were being friendly."

Taichi ran a hand through his hair. "I really have to spell it out for you, huh?" he frowned, his gaze travelling to Koushiro. "Hey, can I tell you a dumb thing?"

"Uhm, sure?"

"Koushiro, I have been in love with you since you joined the soccer club. I thought it was a fleeting fancy for, years, but in the past two years, I have fallen in love with you every single day, over and over again. Will you marry me?" Taichi stared at Koushiro, his face straight as the man tapped a finger on his chin.

"I'll go on a date with you, rather than just jump into marriage-"

"Shit, I gave you the wrong speech." Taichi had the decency to flush as Koushiro laughed, his gaze dancing.

"We'll go on a date tonight, just the two of us." He opened his laptop, manually saving his work. Taichi rushed forward, catching him in a hug and kissing the top of his head.

"Thank you!" he grinned, Koushiro returning the smile and shaking off the shock of the confession in the same move. Honestly, he wished that Taichi had said something sooner.


	30. Taichi/Koushiro (Serious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's been working the case for years, with no clues as to who was the murderer. Until it showed up in his office one day, laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya know, this would make for an interesting, longer fic, but I don't have the brain or the attention span to do that right now. Enjoy!
> 
> TBH, I feel like good ideas come to me just to be butchered and killed.

The man drummed his fingers against the table, watching the information scroll across the screen. He had seen it all before, years ago when he had started in on the case. They were only reviewing it now to give the new guy a good idea of what they were looking for.

"Yagami Taichi, wanted for murder. Danger classification: Ultimate. Travels with an Agumon, evolution information available in the files."

He mouthed the words as they stopped at the top of the screen, showing a picture of a younger Yagami Taichi, in his football uniform and playing for Japan. He grimaced as the man next to him snapped a pencil.

"That is the guy they want us to go after?"

The man sighed, nodding in agreement. "I'm surprised that you haven't seen any of the news articles. Nearly three years ago, it was thought that he had killed his jogress partner and his jogress partner's wife, who was pregnant." The faces of Ishida Yamato and Takenouchi Sora flashed in the man's eye, his shoulder slumping.

The blue haired man nodded. "I didn't think-"

"Ichijouji, Izumi! You two gossiping all day or can we get a move on?"

The pair glanced up when their supervisor barked into the room, Koushiro rolling his eyes though he made sure that only Ken could see it. "Just bringing Ichijouji-kun up to date on the case."

"Well, hurry it up and get on out there. We can't have you hanging around all day."

Ken covered his mouth from laughing as Koushiro rolled his eyes, picking up the case file and heading out of the door with Ken following. "Please, call me Koushiro. This is Tentomon. I've been informed that you have... or had a digimon partner as well?" The digimon appeared over Koushiro's shoulder as they walked out of the building, waving at Ken.

"Yes, his name is Wormmon. And please, call me Ken. What else can you tell me about Yagami?" Ken asked, following Koushiro to his car. The man unlocked it, sliding into the driver's seat and eyeing Ken out of the corner of his eye.

"There was eight of us, when we first went to the digital world. Taichi lost his sister and Yamato lost his brother in the first year that we were trapped there. After everything had settled down, they thought maybe they would come back. I don't believe that he killed Sora or Yamato." He spoke quickly, his hands moving towards the dashboard and turning off the recorder he knew was there even before he began to speak. "It screwed us over, badly. I would not be surprised if he snapped, but he wouldn't kill anyone."

"You sound like you know him well."

Koushiro offered Ken a strained smile. "There's a reason I refused to have anyone on this case with me before now. I couldn't convince them to not give it to you, because they thought I just needed help. There's little I can do either way, regarding the situation. So, either you're going to agree with me or you're going to turn me in. Your choice."

Ken met his gaze, dropping it after a moment. "They tried to take my partner away from me because he is a virus type. We proved that would be a bad idea otherwise, but I'm looking for someone else as well. I will not get in your way when it comes to this case."

"Who are you looking for?" Koushiro reached up, turning on the car and nodding at Tentomon. The digimon placed his claws on the dashboard, sending a small shockwave through to disrupt any signals that he might have missed.

"I'm looking for Motomiya Daisuke."

"Wanted for...?" The name sounded familiar to Koushiro, though he couldn't place why it was so. The man next to him sighed.

"I never could figure out why they wanted him. I wish I could tell you more then that. It's a government issue." Ken smiled, though it was bitter.

Koushiro nodded, "I'll look into it when we get back from our drive."

"Where are we going?"

Ken froze when Koushiro looked at him, a smirk crossing his face. "We're going to see my husband, actually. I think you might enjoy the meeting."

"I didn't take you for the type of man to be..." ken hesitated, Koushrio shrugging.

"He'll be able to tell me if you're trustworthy. If you're not, I don't think you'll get much further than where you're at now in your search for Motomiya Daisuke."

"They track the cars."

"Tentomon disabled the electronics. I have been doing this job for nearly five years now, Ken. I am not going to let some stupid mistake cost the life of anyone. Besides, he might even know something about your friend." Koushiro frowned, trying to remember where he heard the name Daisuke before.

"You have a lot of faith in this husband of yours."

Koushiro offered Ken a smile as he pulled onto the highway, his face turning into a mask of sorrow. "I've been with him since we were thirteen. I would hate to think..." he trailed off, Tentomon settling in the back seat. "What happened to your partner?"

"He disappeared with Daisuke." Ken stared out the window, watching the trees flash past. "When I was assigned to the case, this is not what I had in mind."

Koushiro gave a small hum of agreement, the pair lapsing into silence. It was an hour and a half later before he turned off the highway and onto a small road, the trees creating a shady overhang.

"Here."

Koushiro stopped the car upon turning down a dirt road, nodding at Tentomon. "You'll have to pardon the disbelief, but I don't think you're really here to help me. Who sent you?"

Ken arched an eyebrow, watching Koushiro. "If you're going to crack, you could at least leave the police."

"Yo, Koushiro!"

The pair turned when they heard the voice, a man waving at them from high up in the tree. "Didn't know you were coming with a friend today. We could have prepared something better to eat."

"Oh, that's where I've heard the name before." Koushiro frowned as he watched Daisuke jump out of the tree, the man landing with a thud. His gaze darted from Koushiro to Ken, his eyes seeming to darken.

"Is this a joke?" Ken asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Greymon, no!"

Koushiro shoved Ken out of the way as the digimon came barreling down the path, a second man appearing from further down. Daisuke looked back towards Taichi, shrugging. The digimon came to a halt in front of Koushiro, devolving in a flash and throwing his arms around the man.

"it's been a while since you've been here!" Agumon cried.

"Yeah, I know." Koushiro smiled at the dinosaur, rubbing his head before looking up at Taichi. "Sorry, I came unexpectedly. There was an issue that came up at work."

Taichi looked from Koushiro to Ken, who was still staring at Daisuke. "This the issue?" he asked.

"Ichijouji Ken. I couldn't convince them to leave anyone off the case. They're still insistent that they're going to find you." Koushiro leaned against the hood of the car, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you want to do?"

"They're still targeting-" Taichi cursed, his head snapping to the side. "Daisuke, don't you move."

Daisuke froze from where he had been about to launch himself at Ken, pulling back into himself and staring at the man.

"They're still trying to kill us," Taichi continued. "Have you found out anything on who killed Yamato and Sora?"

"Five years is a lot of time to loss data while they were pinning the blame on you. No one wants to be the one to admit that they fucked up, you know that." Koushiro's gaze darted to Ken. "Tentomon?"

"Yes?" The digimon looked up from where he was hovering, Agumon pulling away from Koushiro.

"Detain Ichijouji."

"What gave it away?" Ken dropped his hands, staring at Koushiro.

"You didn't react when you saw Daisuke. If you were really looking for him, you would have done something. You would have at least shown annoyance that Taichi prevented Daisuke from coming to greet you." Koushiro drew his gun just as Ken moved, a snarl sounding from his throat.

"V-mon!" Daisuke called for his partner over his shoulder, the digimon bursting from the bushes before flash evolving, XV-mon landing in front of him.

"They suspected that you were hiding him." Ken's voice was calm, his hands still held losely at his sides. He smirked, turning to look at Koushiro. "And, I suppose, they were right. You filth always stick together, don't you?"

"Agumon!"

"Got it!" The digimon surged forward, Tentomon joining him. Daisuke turned away at the resounding fight, Taichi walking over to Koushiro as the digimon took Ken far away from the clearing and deposited him somewhere else.

"What are we going to do?"

"They're still going to target us," Daisuke spoke up, anger in his voice.

"They won't trust us, not after Ken turns up missing," Koushiro agreed and he let out a sigh. "Do you two have room for another pair in the house, or should we start investigating a bigger place to go?"

Taichi shrugged, catching Koushiro's hand in his and dragging him down the pathway. "There's always room for you in my bed."

"Ew, gross." Daisuke gagged as Koushiro kissed his husband, feeling the anxiety in his gut fade for the moment.


	31. Taichi/Koushiro(Happy/Sappy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is little they could do, expect their part. There is a lot he could give back, if he only took the time.

Taichi stirred in bed, stretching out and finding the space next to him empty. He frowned, pressing a hand to the sheets to find them still warm. It was early, Taichi not one for getting up early. His partner, however, enjoyed the early mornings.

Taichi sat up in bed, letting the sheets fall from him like he was some ancient god waking -Koushiro had used those words once and, after they both snorted until their sides hurt, Taichi decided he liked it very much- and got out of bed. Or, he would have, it it wasn't cold and he was only in boxers.

He moved, pulling a sheet around him and trudged through the house like a ghost, moaning about the cold. It was two minutes before he could find the thermostat, his brain not functioning enough-

"Why... why is the thermostat in American units? Koushiro?" He whined, squinting at the device that read 50F.

There were footsteps behind him, Koushiro appearing and throwing another blanket at Taichi. "The digimon are messing with the electrical plane again. Get dressed, there was a digimon appearing not far from here."

"I wanna go back to bed." Taichi grumbled the words even as he headed to the shared bedroom.

It was several hours, dealing with the rogue digimon, before the pair returned home to a sweltering apartment. Taichi grimaced as he opened the windows, Koushiro turning off the heater and shaking his head. They often dealt with stray digimon, though it wasn't often that they had to fight them.

Taichi felt a hand on his shoulder, Koushiro squeezing it with a small, sad smile. "You going to be okay?" He asked.

Taichi shrugged, looking up to meet Koushiro's gaze. "I miss the fact that Agumon and Tentomon can't come home. I hate the fact that the government tracks us, to make sure that we're behaving. I just-"

Koushiro leaned down, kissing Taichi hard. He pulled away, looking embarrassed by himself. "I know it sucks, and I wish there was something that I could do to make it easier."

Taichi moved, leaning his head against Koushiro's chest and shrugging. They had accepted the restrictions that came with their digimon, when they were younger and still going to school. As they got older, they all began to chafe at the restrictions that were set in place.

Koushiro ran his fingers through Taichi's hair, a frown crossing his face. "I could get us to the digital world."

"Wouldn't they notice?"

The man thought about it for a moment, tipping his head back and staring at the ceiling. Seeing their partners for such a short amount of time had him growing restless as well, even though he could sit and work on codes for hours at a time. When they were eleven, things had seemed a lot simpler.

"I can make it look like we're still here. They would never notice that we were missing."

Taichi's eyes lit up when he heard the news, watching his partner. The man smiled down, moving to grab his laptop. Days like this meant he and Taichi could have more time together, with their partners. Soon, he would explain to the others the loop he was able to set up but, for now, he wanted to have the time with his husband more than anything. And if it meant giving him the anniversary present early, he was okay with that.

As long as they could be together.


	32. Yamato/Kouji(Funny)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was an unexpected turn of events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just, I have never actually seen a full episode of Frontier, so Kouji's personality is -probably- butchered, but I tried based off his Wikimon.net page.
> 
> Enjoy!

"What are those two doing?"

Takeru leaned against Taichi as he asked the question, squinting at his brother. They had ended up being dragged into the digital world, something that no one was entirely thrilled about. And, on top of being stuck there without any feasible way back despite how hard Koushiro tried, they had run into another group of teenagers.

Calling themselves teenagers was, honestly, a stretch. But now, as Taichi and Takeru sat under the shade of a tree, they watched as Yamato and one of the new comers glared at each other.

"I wish I knew. Don't you know your brother better?" Taichi asked.

"You're his Jogress partner. I can rarely tell what's going through his head anymore. Surely you'd have a better idea." Takeru flashed Taichi an innocent smile, Taichi shaking his head before they both turned their attention back to Yamato.

The man in question raised a finger, pointing it at the man that had appeared to save them. In a flash of light, -which was cooler than Yamato would ever admit- he had appeared and spouted off some nonsense before dispatching the thing that had been attacking them.

They were stuck in what looked like a rip off digital world with no partners, that they could see yet anyway. From the corner of his eye, he could see Taichi and Takeru talking, their voices too low to carry before he returned his full attention to the gaze that had been boring into him.

"Look, there can only be one so-called lone wolf in the group," the dark haired man said, flicking hair over his shoulder. "Frankly, with my beast spirit, I'd say I fit the bill better than you ever would."

"Man, if Gabumon was here right now-" Yamato began.

"But he's not, so I will be the one who moodily stomps off from this." The man smirked, cocking an eyebrow. "What's your idea anyway, saying if only Gabumon was here right now?"

"Gabumon is my partner! Obviously something that you wouldn't have any idea about." Yamato sniffed, crossing his arms over his chest. The pair glared at the other, each deciding that there would only be enough for one lone wolf to inhabit their mixed group.

Not that he, Taichi, Takeru, and Koushiro had to rely on these two headaches in the making, not at all. Honestly though, he wasn't as bad as Takuya, from what Yamato could tell. No, he was not going to let the other goggle wearing idiot come to mind while he was facing down this asshole.

"Oooh, right, you have to rely on others-"

Yamato let out a cry of frustration, launching himself at Kouji. In all of his years of fighting hand to hand as a digimon, Kouji was surprised to see someone just flat out try to punch someone else. Actually, as he blocked the punch, he could hear the bushy haired man let out a whoop and Yamato's name while the other blond just groaned.

"There can only be one," Yamato growled through his teeth, Kouji raising an eyebrow. "And I am not going to give up that title to someone who has Light as their crest."

"What is-"

Yamato used the moment of confusion to break away from Kouji's grip, rolling his eyes. "You remind me of Taichi's little sister. So, there."

"And what's your Legendary Spirit that you inherited?" Kouji asked, brushing himself off.

"Legendary... what the hell is that?"

"The thing that lets you fight as a digimon?"

Yamato frowned before snorting. "My crest is friendship."

Kouji broke into laughter at the statement, pressing a hand to his face. "Really, friendship for the lone wolf type? Wow, you really suck at the role."

"Hey! I was a kid at the time it was chosen! What's your excuse?" Yamato demanded.

"Ofanimon picked me." Kouji sniffed.

"Let's just..."

The pair stared at each other, Yamato scratching the back of his head.

"I think we have room for two lone wolves if we get two idiot leaders!" Takeru called.

"Yeah, I agree with- HEY!" Taichi turned, staring at his boyfriend with hurt in his eyes when it registered what he had said. Takeru just smiled, letting it roll off him as Taichi looked away, grumbling in annoyance.

"Friends?" Yamato offered.

"Lone wolf friends." Kouji took the offered hand, the pair shaking on it.

"NOW KISS!"


	33. Yamato/Kouji(Serious) Time Warp Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a glitch, when you returned. And the six of you realized you were the only ones that remembered your youngest members.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still know absolute jack about Frontier.
> 
> But this is an idea I might explore further, if I ever do get around to watching the rest of Tamers and beyond!

The glass clinked against the bar as the singer sat down. It was late, the place nearly cleared out, the time of day that Yamato liked to come out during. He looked up when the bar tender sat it down, the man raising an eyebrow at the questioning look.

"Dark haired man ordered it for you."

Yamato looked in the direction that the man pointed, returning his gaze to the drink in front of him. He lifted it up, tilting it in the man's direction before taking a sip. The burn of whiskey flooded Yamato's senses, the blond setting it down and letting out a sigh.

It was three minutes before the dark haired man took a seat next to Yamato, his gaze trained on the drinks behind the bar.

"Can I help you?"

Yamato had downed half the drink as he waited for the man to approach, surprised that he had taken so long to do so.

"Saw your band several weeks ago and thought I'd say you have an amazing voice," the man said, keeping his gaze on the bottles in front of him. "My name is Minamoto Kouji, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ishida Yamato." The man took in the other, tilting his head in question at some of the scars that he spotted before he moved, shoving the sleeves down on his jacket when he saw the staring. "Rough family life?"

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you the truth."

"Why don't we go take the booth in the back and talk about it?" Yamato suggested, moving to hop off the bar stool. It would give him the chance to lean against something, rather than hunch. He had the hunch that his back would appreciate the change in position.

Kouji took his drink and followed Yamato to the back corner. It was several minutes before Kouji finished his drink, staring into the glass. "I heard that you and some friends had adventures, way back in the day."

Yamato let out a small hum of agreement. "Can't say they ever became too public, due to various reasons, but I'd like to know what you know about them."

"The digital world, you've been there, then?" Kouji asked.

Yamato nodded, "I was there when I was eleven. If you know about it..." he trailed off, watching as Kouji grimaced. He went to get another drink, Yamato taking the time to consider the facts before him.

"I went there with several... different kids when I was eleven, too. Found a twin brother I was told was dead, actually. You know how those things go. Anyway, when we got sent back to the real world, there was a glitch." Kouji stared into his drink, his shoulders drawing up.

"You got sent to the wrong place." Yamato grimaced and closed his eyes. He opened them to find Kouji staring at him. "My brother and my friend's sister disappeared in a similar manner. Our resident technologically advanced friend had tried searching for them for years. We never found out what happened. It was a guess that they had been sent to the wrong place but..."

"He did," Kouji agreed. "Or, I can assume he did. That's a question that I've wondered about, too. If any of your group had disappeared. Now, I guess, I have conformation."

"Is that the only reason you tracked me down in a bar?" Yamato raised an eyebrow. He watched as Kouji looked away, mumbling something under his breath before getting up and walking away. Yamato sighed, looking at his own drink and deciding that it would be better to go home. He cleared the tab with the bartender, biding him goodnight and thinking about Kouji.

***

Kouji leaned against the railing of the walkway, his gaze clouded. Above him, the clouds were rolling in, the people hurrying to get where they needed to go. He had been trapped in what he soon dubbed as the 'alternate reality' for eleven years. It had been hard to believe that there was a place for him when he got there, spat out by his own world.

It had been like he had gone home, only he felt that he was somewhere he didn't belong. The phone in his pocket rang, Kouji pressing the answer button and talking to the woman that had become his mother. The pair looked like his family, in his world, but there were small habits that were different.

He ended the conversation quickly, turning his head when he heard footsteps coming down the walkway. Thunder rumbled in the distance, an umbrella appearing over his head before it truly staring raining.

"You're going to catch a cold, standing out here like this."

Yamato gave Kouji a wry smile, his gaze drifting away to look at the rain as it fell.

"I was on my way to the studio when I saw you out here. I figured I'd be friendly since you bought me a drink the other night."

"This isn't out of some pity for me, is it?" Kouji asked, tempted to shove the man away but just slid his hands in his pockets.

Yamato shook his head. "Nope, not at all. I misplaced all my pity when I met Taichi."

"Misplaced...?" Kouji frowned as he turned the words over in his head. Yamato let out a sigh.

"Bad joke," he explained. "Anyway, what are you doing out on a day like this? You don't seem to be going anyway."

"And how would you know?" Kouji bristled, shooting a glare at Yamato.

The man just smiled at him, offering him a shrug. "I had twelve years of learning how to read someone who never gets his face out of a computer screen. Not to mention the other people I ended up becoming friends with. It's a sore point all around, but..." he shrugged again. "Want to come to the studio with me?"

"Why should I?"

"Why not? You said you liked my music. Maybe," here Yamato grinned, "I'm just looking at a way to get you alone so I can pry all of your secrets away from you."

Kouji raised an eyebrow but simply shrugged. "I don't think I have any secrets worthy of being needed to pry out of me."

"You're a chosen from another world," Yamato shrugged. "Anyway, figured... look, we're having a gathering son and maybe you'd like to join us? You know about the digital world and the transition must have been hard, being alone. But..." He rubbed the back of his neck, Kouji shaking his head.

"Sure, I'm curious about what the rest of you are like anyway."

The pair walked under the umbrella, letting the sound of rain surround their thoughts.

***

"Wait, who's this?"

Taichi leaned against the door, squinting at Yamato as the blond gestured towards Kouji. He could see the unsteadiness in Taichi's eyes as he moved to stand, Mimi appearing at his side to steady him.

"Kouji," the black haired man said, sticking out his hand. "Inheritor of the Legendary Spirits of Light."

"Legendary... whatits now?" Taichi squinted, Yamato rolling his eyes as he stepped past his friend.

"Go home, you're drunk," he called over his shoulder, Kouji stepping in behind him. Yamato met the gaze of the other chosen, seeing Koushiro look up from his computer.

"This is my home!" Taichi called after him.

"There's a data anomaly hovering over your shoulder," he pulled off the googles he was wearing as he spoke, squinting at the person standing there. "Strange..."

"This is Kouji, he's from... Where, exactly?" Yamato asked, turning to Kouji.

"Uh, we called the digital world Digital Frontier. But, that was probably cause we felt more like it was the final frontier, exploring a place that not even space travelers could go." Kouji didn't waver under the weight of six adults staring at him. He met Koushiro's gaze as his eyes seem to cloud over. "Can't say I had great experiences there, my brother was killed by Lucemon Falldown Mode. But hey, I guess that's the breaks?"

"Lucemon...?"

Yamato glanced at Sora, offering her a shrug as Kouji nodded. "Sure, you had to fight your own big bad, right? From what Yamato was saying, it was Devimon and the Dark Masters?"

"Yeah."

Yamato shifted as he felt Koushiro's gaze land on him, the man giving him an odd look before he tossed the goggles at Taichi. "What do you see with those on?"

Taichi looked down at the goggles that he had caught, looking back up at Koushiro before tugging them on his head and looking at where Koushiro and Yamato were standing. "A high concentration of digital data that's blurring together, standing next to a, blurry, crest of friendship. Koushiro, I'm drunk though?"

"It's been eleven years since we've been to the digital world, but we're still influenced by our partners' and their evolutions. You have a higher concentration of digital data -Taichi, don't break those!- that I have seen on any of us. I heard of certain types of evolution in my studies where people merged with their partners-"

"We didn't have partners." Kouji frowned, glancing at the others. "We fought, as digimon, using human and beast spirits."

"I need to know more." Koushiro stood up, placing his hands on the table and staring at Kouji. "Please, would you tell me more?"

"O-of course?" Kouji frowned but walked over to Koushiro, sitting down and beginning to weave his tale for the man.

***

"Fancy meeting you here."

Yamato set the drink down at the small booth, looking at the man that he had become friends with in the past three years. Kouji looked tired, dark circles under his eyes and Yamato nudged the drink closer to him.

"Come up with anything?" he asked, desperate to bridge the silence between them.

Kouji shook his head, shoulders slumping. "Not yet, Kou doesn't want to give up though."

"You've given up." Yamato took his own drink, watching as Kouji nodded.

"Fifteen years now? What's the point in hoping to get back? Besides, I think... maybe, I found a reason to stay."

Yamato raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair as Kouji looked away, sighing.

"This is going to sound really sappy. I don't want to go home, because I found a reason to stay here. I had... given up, even before I looked for you. Well, I would rather stay here, with you, then go back to my world."

Yamato frowned, Kouji dropping his gaze.

"I think I'm in love with you, Ishida Yamato. Do I have to spell it out?" Kouji asked.

"Oh, well that's-" Yamato paused as his mind caught up with the words. "Wait, really? Are you sure about that?"

"Yes."

"That's a dangerous move."

"And I've taken on a lot of things more dangerous than you. I'm ready to take you on."

"Is that a threat, Minamoto?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll take it."

Yamato smiled at Kouji, the pair returning to their respective drinks and thoughts.


	34. Yamato/Kouji(Happy/Sappy) Time Warp Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's quiet, but it's a good quiet.

It's quiet in the room where the pair were sitting. The quiet permeated the air, leaving the pair in contentedness that would not suit some of the friends they had.

The quietness spoke of many things: Of the happiness, of the easiness, of the shared movements of the two.

Not even the tick-tock of the clock -whose battery had long since died- could disturb the silence.

Though, something about the silence was almost unnatural. There was a twitch to one of the pair, the blond haired man seeming almost a shadow to the dark haired man that sat at the table, flipping the page only every once in a while of the book he was reading.

The blond haired man was writing, his pen barely hovering over a blank line before he would begin to write again. The man reading paused, letting his gaze flick up before he smiled, though it seemed faint.

"How's the writing going?"

The man paused in his deed, setting the pen down and flexing his hand. "I think I'm almost done."

"Writing love songs again? Keep doing that and someone might get ideas of what you've been doing in your spare time."

"Does that doing include you?"

The pair stared at each other before the dark haired man laughed. His name was Minamoto Kouji. He was not from the same universe as the blond that sat across from him. It had been years since he had given up on trying to return to his own universe, content with where he was.

"I don't suppose why not." Ishida Yamato winked at his long time boyfriend. Their dating had been as unlikely as their meeting in the bar. While they often entertained the possibilities, neither of them were willing to become public about their relationship.

It was a quiet moment they had with each other, and they were unwilling to part with it.

Yamato reached out, lightly touching Kouji's wrist.

"The others are meeting up for drinks tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

It had become custom to invite Kouji to the meetings. He was a chosen child, even if he didn't come from their universe. Much like Yamato and Taichi's siblings were still their siblings, even if no one remembered them.

Kouji gave a nod, using his free hand to cover Yamato's wrist before the singer pulled away and returned to his writing and Kouji returned to his book.

Their's was a quiet companionship, but it suited each other quite well. They would leave their friends to be loud, as long as they had their peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....damn it, I think I ship them....


	35. Hikari/Miyako(Serious)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Implied Suicide
> 
> Listening suggestions: Fall Down and Never Get Back Up Again by La Dispute

The waves crashed against the sand, the woman danging her feet off the pier and listening to the sounds. The last time she had gone to the ocean, it had nearly dragged her under. She picked up a stone, hefting it in her hand. It was smooth, one of the many that she had collected along the way to the pier, as she walked up and down the shore.

It was an easy toss, a small flick, and the stone skidded over the water. The woman smiled, locks of lilac hair falling in her face. The resounding splash caught her attention, the ripples going outward. The woman stood, brushing hair out of her face and watched as the ripples subsided.

She picked up the next stone when the ocean was as calm as it would ever get, flicking her wrist and watching it sail over the water, skidding before making a soundless plop into the water.

_"Do you think that the ocean gets upset when we throw stones into it?"_

_The teenager turned when the other girl spoke, her voice raising above the waves._

_"Uhm, I don't think the water has... feelings?" Miyako offered, brushing hair out of her face. "I mean-"_

_"My name's Yagami Hikari! What's yours?"_

_Miyako felt flustered as the brown haired teenager walked over, picking up the top stone on her pile. "Inoue Miyako."_

_"There's going to be a storm soon."_

_Miyako felt the sharpened wind tug at her hair when the words were spoken, her gaze trained on Hikari. "Do you study weather patterns or something?"_

_"No silly, I just know the clouds."_

_Miyako tossed the last of her stones into the water, aware of the eyes on her. She turned, meeting the curious gaze of Hikari. She raised an eyebrow, the girl laughing._

_"It was a pleasure meeting you!" She tossed the words over her shoulder as she ran off, leaving Miyako left alone on the beach. The sounds of rain beginning to fall being the thing that sent her home._

"Hikari."

Miyako breathed the name, closing her eyes and tilting her head down, letting the third stone fall onto the wooden pier. It rolled to the edge of the pier before falling into the water with a plop. Miyako raised her now empty hand to her face, rubbing it over her eyes.

"Why did you have to go?" she yelled into the waves, feeling the anger course through her. It was the only thing Miyako could have thought of at that moment as she heard the waves crash, thunder rumbling above her.

_"Miyako!"_

_The name was harsh as Miyako spluttered, feeling a hand on her shoulder. A teenager leaned over her, hair dripping water onto Miyako's face. She blinked, moving a hand to try and push her away._

_Hikari caught Miyako's wrist, offering her a strained smile. "You nearly drown."_

_"Drown...?" Miyako frowned, allowing Hikari to help her up. She had gone to the beach again, this time to study the ocean life that may come near her. There had been none, that she had seen until- "There had been a crash and-"_

_"You fell into the water from the pier. I saved you." Hikari smiled, though it was strained as she met Miyako's gaze. "It's dangerous for you to be out here, alone."_

_"I'm not alone if you were here."_

_Hikari laughed even as Miyako shut her eyes and let herself flop back onto the sand. "I'm not always going to be here though."_

_Miyako pried her eyes open long enough to look at Hikari, nodding. "I accept that. I'll take the chances of dying if I get to see you again."_

_"Please don't say that." Hikari's mouth tugged into a frown, Miyako blinking and blushing when she realized just what she had said. She looked away, swallowing back the other words that had wanted to come out. It was warm, with Hikari next to her. She leaned forward, sitting up suddenly and caught Hikari's wrist._

_"I think I love you."_

_Hikari stared, eyes wide as Miyako made the proclamation. "I-"_

_Miyako flushed, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. Please forgive me?"_

_Hikari shook her head, leaning over and kissing Miyako lightly. "I understand, but know..."_

"Why did I have to love you?"

Miyako let the question tumble from her lips, feeling her tears trail down her face. She was resting on her knees now, her hands placed on her thighs. It had been three years since she nearly drown. Three years since she told the woman that she loved her, three years since she had been to the ocean.

Three years since she had seen Hikari. It hadn't been a coincidence, Miyako knew that. Hikari had appeared when Miyako needed her the most, when the temptation to lose herself to the waves was there, dancing before her. She had receded, like the waves from the shore and left her alone.

"Miyako..."

She looked up when she heard the voice, her eyes scanning the waves. She turned her head when she heard the name again, watching the figure in the distance, the wind picking up and carrying her name once more to the pier. She reached a hand up, touching the necklace Hikari had given her before she tugged it off, tossing it into the waves.

The waves had taken the one that she loved. Hikari had been dragged under by the ocean, and Miyako could do nothing but follow. She trembled as she moved towards the edge of the pier, slipping into the water and letting the cold numbness take her over.

She could swim, meet the one she loved, so far out in the ocean.

From the ocean she came, to the ocean she would return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also read it as Hikari's a merperson


	36. Hikari/Miyako(Funny)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoomp whomp

Miyako pressed her hand against the wood of the table, leaning her full weight down on it as she stared across the table.

Hikari met her gaze, her eyebrow slowly raising up. They had been in the silent stare down for the past several minutes, niether of them willing to break the eye contact first.

Miyako finally sighed, dropping her gaze and looking down at the table in front of her. " Ithink the hair looks amazing on you Hikari, I'm just-"

"Surprised, angry, upset...?"

"Shocked," Miyako offered. She met the gaze of her partner, the pair having been married for three years now. "It's a big change."

"Too much of a change?" Hikari picked up the ends of her now bleached white hair, examining it as Miyako walked around the table and set a hand on her shoulder.

"I think it's a wonderful change. And it reminds me so much of Tailmon!"

"Thanks, I was aiming for that." Hikari offered Miyako a happy smile, moving to hug her wife. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Now, how about we get you some ears and play a little game?"

Miyako yelped as Hikari smaked her, both of them laughing. "Think Tailmon will like it?"

"She'll be surprised for sure."

"Maybe we can dye your hair to look like Aquilamon."

"Hikari?" Miyako pulled away, looking her wife in the eye.

"Yes...?"

"You are not going anywhere near my hair with dye, understand?"

"Fine... I'll do it later!"

The pair stared at each other before Miyako laughed again, hugging Hikari and wondering how she ended up with such a wonderful wife.


	37. Hikari/Miyako(Happy/Sappy)

Miyako reached out, taking a finger of frosting and putting it to her mouth in amusement as her girlfriend swatted at her hand.

"You really shouldn't be doing that," Hikari warned.

"And why not?" Miyako asked, cocking an eyebrow and looking at her. The pair were in their small, one bedroom apartment. It was cramped, but they loved it. The baking Hikari was doing was perched parciously on the small amount of table space she had claimed, Miyako's books mixing in with her's occupied the rest of the space.

"There could be eggs in that frosting," Hikari chided her.

"It's frosting, since when does eggs go into frosting?" Miyako raised her eyebrow, watching as Hikari rolled her eyes, pulling the bowl further away from Miyako's easy reach.

"I need it for the cake."

Miyako shook her head. "Surely you're not going to waste all that delicious frosting on Motomiya, are you?"

"What do you have against Daisuke getting a delicious cake for his birthday?" Hikari arched an eyebrow as Miyako seemed to faulter under her question before she grinned up at her girlfriend.

"You never bake me a cake."

"Miyako..."

"Do you need help with anything?" Miyako asked, sensing the dangerous territory that she was swifting heading towards.

"Dishes?"

Miyako set her pen down, happy to leave her paper behind as she headed into the kitchen. They had only been living there for three months, both of them having been sick of living in dorm rooms. Wile the apartment wasn't much bigger than a dorm room, they were much happier living there instead.

"What are you working on?"

"Theory paper for Psych. Honestly, it's tedious and boring."

"What sort of theory?" Hikari looked up from the batter she was mixing, Miyako glancing over her shoulder.

"How kids are chosen to be assigned digimon."

There was an underlying tension, Miyako shaking her head.

"The teacher doesn't know my part of the second digimon invasion back in oh two. It just happened to be the topic he picked. Besides, Hawkmon-" Miyako let out a strained sigh at the mention of her partner. Hikari set the bowl back on the table, stepping over to Miyako and resting a hand on her waist.

"He and Tailmon are doing okay. We can go visit them, when the cake is out of the oven, if you would like."

"I would like that. So, what's so special about this cake, anyway?"

"Oh, Takeru wants to propose but wasn't sure how he wanted to do it, so he asked me to bake the rings into the cake? I'm not sure hwo that's going to go over, but can't be any worse than Taichi proposing to Koushiro before Koushiro even realized that they should have been dating." Hikari smiled, watching the emotions flick through Miyako's eyes before she leaned forward, kissing her girlfriend.

"Boys," they chorused together, laughing at their hapless friends. Miyako turned her attention to the dishes, feeling her heart warm as Hikari hummed under her breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know anymore, tbh.


	38. Taichi/Miyako(Funny)

"Wondering where it goes?"

Miyako jerked her head up when she heard the voice, turning to see the man the voice belonged to. "If I wanted to know where the wire went, I would have backtracked it. I'm trying to figure out what idiot would put a trip wire across the hall like this."

She met the gaze of the brown-haired boy, feeling the muscle in her jaw twitch.

"Uh, that would have been me actually. I'm sorry, and you are?" he asked, adjusting the soccer bag he had on one arm.

"Inoue Miyako, I just moved in two doors down." She placed her hands on her hips, turning to stare down the man. "I would suggest properly securing your wires so people don't trip."

"No, that was the point of the wire. It's a trip wire. I was going to be playing a prank on-"

Both of them jumped when they heard a voice, the man smirking and stepping to the side of the wire as he waved the other man down. "Took you long enough to get here Motomiya, did you get lost along the way?"

The man in question, one Motomiya Daisuke, was jogging down the hallway, Miyako snorting at the sight of him.

"Running late as usual, just like in school. Haven't you learned anything about punctuality?" she asked, Daisuke stopping dead just mere inches from the wire and looking from the other man to Miyako.

He let out a long groan. "Do you always have to turn up wherever I'm at, Inoue?"

"There's a trip wire. I would step over it, if I were you." She picked up her bag where she had left it, hefting it up onto her shoulder. "It's a pleasure meeting you....?"

"Uh, Yagami Taichi," the man responded, sticking out his hand. Miyako took it, giving it one big pump before dropping it.

"Also, a pie attached to a trip wire is not very original." She set off to her own apartment at that, listening to Daisuke's voice pick up as Taichi tried to laugh the situation off with Daisuke.

She wouldn't see him again for nearly two weeks and each minute it filled her with dread. But when she did see him again, the situation couldn't have been any more-

"A pie?"

Miyako looked down to the box that was in one Yagami Taichi's hands, who had shown up at her door not a moment before. She squinted at him, moving to adjust her glasses before remembering that she had left them on the bathroom counter in annoyance at whoever was knocking on her door after ten at night.

"As an apology, for the trip wire thing," Taichi explained, holding it out to her. Miyako crossed her arms, tapping a finger against her arm before she let out a sigh, reaching out to take it.

"It's not poisoned, is it?" she asked, opening the box and taking a sniff at the object before determining that it would be fine, she hoped.

"No!" Taichi's eyes went wide before he shook his head. "I was, uhm... actually, I wanted to ask you out on a date? I thought the pie was a good way to break the ice because... yeah..."

"A date?" Miyako squinted at him, seeing Taichi nod. "Sure, what could go wrong?"

"Do you really...?" Taichi frowned or, at least she assumed he frowned. "You never ask someone what could go wrong."

"Well, what could?"

Surely, it was a riveting conversation that ended up in Taichi being invited into the apartment and Miyako putting her plans off for a bath that day. Maybe, or he just got a yawn and asked to shut up, given her number and told him to just message the details he needed her to know.

Anyone's guess, really.


	39. Taichi/Miyako(Serious) Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares drag her down, reminding her of the darkness that consumed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death, graphic descriptions of murders
> 
> The Happy/Sappy is going to be a continuation of this one.

Miyako dropped to her knees, feeling the pain wrack her body. It had been like this for years now, ever since-

"No."

The word is ripped from her throat as she clasped her hands over her ears, her body shaking. It was the same darkness that was always there when she closed her eyes. The darkness that tugged at her, devoured her. The darkness that had consumed her friends until nothing was left and it laughed.

It laughed as she tore at her hair, roaring in her ears.

"Miyako!"

She jolted awake at the sound of her name, tangled in the sheets and thrashing. A hand came to her shoulder, touching it before the arms wrapped around her, pulling her into the speaker's chest, his hand smoothing down her hair.

"Hey, Miyako, easy there now."

She hid her face, listening to the heart beat that had been a surprising comfort, several months ago. Now, it was something she knew well enough that she believed the could pick it out in a crowd.

"You okay?"

"No."

"The nightmare again?"

She nodded, swallowing. Her throat felt sore, like she had been screaming. She probably had, though she didn't care at the moment. It didn't matter to her, not as much as the person next to her did.

"Want to talk about it?"

Taichi's voice wrapped around her, pulling her from the place of darkness she had been thrown to.

"No."

He nodded, wrapping his arms tighter around her, tangling their legs together and kissing her hair. "You... gonna say anything else other than no?"

"No."

He nodded, closing his eyes. "Do you want something to eat?"

Miyako hesitated at that, nodding against Taichi's chest in agreement. He pulled away, getting out of bed and walking to the small kitchen. The pair shared a studio apartment, the noises of the city outside having kept both of them up for many nights before they settled into the reunite that was passable.

It was late, a little after one in the morning, but Taichi didn't mind as he flipped on the kitchen light. Miyako squinted, burying her face into his pillow before she looked up again, letting her eyes adjust to the light. She pushed herself off the bed, grabbing her glasses and wandering over to the bar that gave the pretense of separating the kitchen and rest of the apartment.

"It was the same dream." She sat on the stool, looking down at her hands while Taichi pulled out sausage and eggs, what he had intended to make in the morning. It was close enough to morning that he could justify making it now.

He glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge her words, nodding in agreement. He turned back, but she knew that he was listening.

"It... It killed them. It displayed them like a child displaying trophies." She chewed on her lip as the images of the dream came to her, Miyako ducking her head. Hikari, guts splayed around her neck like a scarf. Daisuke, tongue cut out and hands missing. Iori, eyes gouged out and arms bent at unnatural angles. Ken -the Kaiser-, laughing. The blade held up to his throat before he brought it across, the blood gushing down his front from the slit.

She placed a hand over her mouth, feeling the crawl of acid in the back of her throat before she darted off the stool, hurrying to the bathroom and emptying what little that she had eaten the night before. She hadn't told anyone the specifics of how it had gone down, even when asked.

They had pestered her about it, but the note that Ken -the Kaiser, she reminded herself- left had been very, very clear. She pushed herself up from the floor, running a hand over her face with a grimace. That had been two months prior. And three months before that....

"Miya?"

She turned when she heard Taichi's voice, flushing the toilet and walking to the sink. She rinsed out her mouth before stepping back into the main room, sitting back at the bar. Taichi watched her with worried eyes, turning away from the eggs.

"Hey, it'll... It's not okay, people keep telling you it'll be okay. But, just, take the time you need, before forcing yourself to get better, okay?"

Miyako nodded, dropping her gaze down. "Do you think it was some form of mockery, him leaving us the only two alive?"

"I can't tell you what was going on in the Kaiser's head." Taichi spat out the name, turning his attention back to the eggs. "I can't tell you why he did anything. I can only tell you that I'll be here for you."

The pair had left Japan when the shit hit the fan. They were the only two of the famous Chosen left and neither had been willing to face the media. They picked some town in America, where they could get lost to. Given their status, it had been easy to get their citizenship, which made Miyako grateful.

She lifted a nail to her mouth, biting on it and shuddering. "God, we're fucked."

"I don't think god has anything to do with it." Taichi watched as Miyako cracked a smile, the tension retreating in the room. He closed his eyes, opening them just in time to pull the eggs off the stove. He split the eggs in half, fetching the sausage and offering Miyako two pieces.

She accepted the food, reaching around him and plucking a clean fork off the drying rack.

"I got some freelance work to do in the morning." She plunged the fork into the sausage, feeling her stomach turn as she brought it to her mouth. She quickly dropped it back to the plate, pulling it off the fork and turning her attention to the eggs.

"I have an interview about teaching soccer at one of the summer camps." Taichi grimaced as he watched Miyako, eating his own sausage.

"I think I might try to become a vegetarian."

"I'll start purchasing more vegetables."

"Am I burden?"

Taichi opened his mouth, caught off guard the by the question, shaking his head desperately. "Why would you ever...?"

"It's what he said, before he-" Miyako choked the words off, setting the fork down and letting out a sigh. She hadn't been eating well, not with the way the dreams came. Nights were always the hardest for her.

"Miya, Miyako, you're not a burden, I swear." Taichi dropped his fork to the plate, moving to take her hands in his. "I promised that we would get through this together. I don't care about anything else. I..." he hesitated, his gaze darting to the side. "Miyako, I love you."

Miyako stared at him, swallowing to try and get rid of the lump in her throat. She met her gaze, dropping her eyes and looking at the eggs. Taichi reached out, resting a hand on her wrist.

"If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

"okay."

It was silent for several minutes before Miyako looked up again.

"Taichi?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm pregnant."

The man met her gaze, nodding as he considered the words. "We'll take you to the doctor's, figure it out."

Miyako nodded, staring down at the plate. "It would Ken's, if it's..."

Taichi nodded, resting his hand there. "Let me know what you want to do."

She nodded, pulling her hand back and beginning to eat.


	40. Taichi/Miyako(Happy/Sappy) Pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sixteen years after the nightmare, we see how they're living.

Miyako tilted her head as she felt the breeze brush through her hair. In the distant, she could hear the laughter of the two children, even as she sat in the background of the rather spacious house she and Taichi had moved into fifteen years ago.

"Hey, mom?"

She looked up when she heard her oldest son, watching him lurk in the shadow of the door. He held a phone loosely in his hand, his finger covering the bottom half.

"What's up, Ken?" she asked.

"Someone's on the phone, asking for you." He held it out, Miyako taking the object and frowning. The sixteen year old turned, seeking out his siblings among the trees.

Miyako placed the pone against her ear, frowning. "Hello?"

"Miyako, it's a pleasure to hear your voice."

Miyako froze as she heard the voice, her hand clenching the phone. She got up from her chair, stepping into the house. "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, you know who exactly this is, Miyako. Surely even you couldn't have forgotten my voice?"

A crash caused Miyako to jump, dropping the phone. She scrambled to pick it up, hearing only the dial tone. She set the phone on the table, resting her hands on the table. She heard the front door open, picking up her head and turning to see Taichi walk through the door.

"Miya?" he asked, setting down his wallet on the side tabel before he walked over to her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, kids making prank calls." She lifted her head, offering him a smile. "Kari has friends over, they're playing in the back currently. Did you pick up the carrots that I asked you to?"

Taichi held up the bag in his hand, moving to set it on the table. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Really, what's wrong?"

Miyako's gaze darted to the phone, running a hand through her hair. "I'm still hearing things, Taichi." He nodded, Miyako meeting his gaze. "I'm still hearing _him_."

Taichi nodded, moving to wrap his arms around her. He rested his head on her shoulder, drawing her close. "I'm here for you."

"I know you are." Miyako rolled her eyes, returning his hug and closing her eyes. "I have some side jobs that I'm going to finish up over the weekend. Think you can entertain four nine year olds and a teenager?"

Taichi thought about it, a smirk slowly spreading over his face. "Do I get to call in backup?"

"And who is your backup?" Miyako raised an eyebrow, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

"I was thinking Agumon and Hawkmon. You know, give the kids some taste of what the digital world is like, in the safety of our own home, of course."

Miyako tilted her head, pulling away from Taichi when she got tired of twisting at an awkward angle to get a look at him. She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping a finger against her chin in thought. "I suppose... Well, if you really must, you can ask Hawkmon if he would be interested, but..."

They grimaced at each other, their fears reflected in each other's eyes.

"I think it's time to let 'Kari know about the digital world. Ken knows." Taichi grimaced. "I still can't believe we named the kids Ken Yamato and Hikari Sora."

"Don't ever ask me to name children while I'm high on pain killers again," Miyako suggested, poking Taichi in the chest.

"If we have a third one, can it be Takeru Jou?"

"No."

Taichi grinned, kissing Miyako again. In the distance, she heard a gagging noise, Taichi raising his eyes to meet the gaze of their eight year old.

"When's dinner going to be ready?" she asked, catching Miyako's attention. The woman looked towards the carrots, moving to retrieve them.

"Soup is currently on the stove, just have to add the carrots. I think, twenty minutes? Hey, your dad has something really cool to show you. Don't you, Taichi?"

"I do?" Taichi met Miyako's gaze, patting at his pockets. "Of course I do! Let's go then." He jogged out of the dining room. Kari glanced at Miyako, the woman shrugging her shoulders.

"You'll enjoy it, I promise."

The girl nodded, turning and walking after her father. Miyako slumped against the table, running a hand through her hair once more. She jumped when she heard footsteps, turning and shaking herself when Ken stepped out from the kitchen.

"Are those the carrots?" he asked, looking at the bag.

"Yeah, your father just got them. Will you put them in the soup?" she asked, handing the bag over to him. Ken nodded, taking the bag and heading into the kitchen. She sighed, hearing the laughter from outside and smiling to herself.

***

"Miyako?"

The woman picked up her head when she heard Taichi's voice, watching him slide into the bedroom and shut the door.

"Everyone asleep?" she asked, pulling the pillow to the side so he could get into bed. He slid in after he stripped, nestling down next to her.

"Yeah, they enjoyed meeting Agumon and Hawkmon. What happened earlier, with the phone?"

Miyako tilted her head, resting it on Taichi's chest. "I heard the Kaiser's voice. He was saying that it was a pleasure to hear my voice." She swallowed, relaxing when Taichi wrapped an arm around her. "I'm tired of it all, Taichi. I'm starting to dream again and I..."

"Do you want to go back to the therapy?" he asked.

She considered it, shaking her head. "It only got bad... I was hearing the voices again when I got pregnant with Kari. Do you think...?"

"Whatever you want to do, just let me know, okay?" Taichi asked. Miyako nodded, closing her eyes.

"I'm glad you're here."

"I would never leave you. I love you, Miyako."

"Love you, too, Taichi." She pressed closer to her husband, hiding her face in his chest and listening to his breathing. She fell asleep to it, feeling better about the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I like the idea of this universe and might, actually, expand it at some point. It'll probably be set to the side like Digatama universe until I have the time to work on it.


	41. Hikari/Iori(Funny)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Iori is one of the harder characters for me to write from the Digimon Universe. Must mean I need to write him more then!

"Hikari,"

The girl turned when she heard her name, hands dropping the camera to rest back around her next. "Iori! It's been so long!" She rushed towards him, gathering him up in a hug.

Ioir returned the hug, looking up at the taller woman and clearing his throat. "What is it that you're doing?"

Hikari looked over her shoulder to the object she had just been photographing, offering him a shrug as she took a step back. "School work."

He looked over Tailmon, the digimon poised and holding up a fruit, all the while wearing a ballerina outfit. The digimon flashed him a glare, daring him to ask about it.

"School work?"

She nodded, turning her attention to Tailmon with a grin. "Cats in unusual poses."

"Doesn't have require a... real cat?"

"I couldn't get our cat to stay still long enough to get a good enough picture. Tailmon is being so wonderful!"

Tailmon watched Iori's eyebrow raise higher, the young man's stoic face seeming to crack as she narrowed her eyes further. The pair stared at each other a moment longer before he burst into laughter.

"And how does Tailmon feel about this?" he asked, watching as Tailmon set the apple on the desk. Her claws flashed, Hikari letting her smile turn into a smirk.

"She's being very kind by playing along with the game." Hikari winked at Iori. "Perhaps she would enjoy it more if Armadimon were to join her?"

Iori glanced to where his partner was standing. The child digimon looked up to Tailmon before looking at Hikari and shaking his head. "I just had a big lunch and was thinking about a nap."

"Yes, I was just passing through. I wish we had the time to stay and talk, Hikari..." Iori pulled the envelope he had meant to deliver, holding it out to her.

She moved to accept it, her gaze darting to Iori. A small, playful smile crossed her lips and she raised an eyebrow. "You sure you can't stay?"

"Run."

Tailmon bounded off the table, darting past Hikari and she let out a laugh, Armadimon bumbling along behind the ballerina clad digimon.

"I really must..." he trailed off as Hikari raised a pleading look at him and he sighed.

"My model just ran away. Please, Iori?"

"I'll regret this."

"Absolutely."

"Why... are you agreeing with me?"

"Because you'll be nice enough to do it for me? Some natural looking scenes will suffice, no need to dress up." She brushed hair out of her face, Iori agreeing to the project with no small amount of dread turning in his stomach.


	42. Hikari/Iori(Serious)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still terrible at writing Iori.
> 
> Actually wanna expand on this idea, maybe?

Iori felt the weight of the stick smash against his shoulder, pain blaring through his right side as he jerked his own weapon up in time to fend off another attack. The pair were dancing in a clearing, the sky above them clouded as they assessed each other.

It had been like this for the past hour, if not more. they weighed each other out, struggling to find defenses in each other's stances. The stinging of his right side was a wound that Iori could not afford to take as the stranger took a step back, lowering their weapon.

"You fight well, for a boy."

He blinked at the higher pitched voice, the clouds departing from the moon and offering him a little view of who he had been fighting. She stood, the tip of her own stick resting against the ground as she studied Iori. Her movements had the fluidity of a cat, though there was a precision he had not originally assessed when they first crossed weapons.

"I have trained for several years..." Iori hesitated as the woman lifted an eyebrow, tilting her head. Hair fell across her face, Iori quickly cursing himself for the words.

"Many people train for many years, though they never reach the level that you have. You have done more than train. You have taken the path with your very soul. It means more to you than you have come to acknowledge within yourself. For this, you have past the test."

She smiled as she spoke, teeth flashing in the faint moonlight before it was swallowed again by the clouds. Iori shivered, recalling the words his master had spoken before sending him into the woods.

_"They will come, in the middle of the night. You have no hope to best them, but impress them. If you impress them, then... perhaps something good will come of it."_

_"Who am I impressing?"_

_"The spirits of the forest. They will have better guidance for you, than any other mortal._

"Thank you."

"Patience."

Iori looked up when the strange girl spoke again, her movements catching him off guard as she suddenly appeared in front of him.

"The rock resting before the ocean waves. You have the patience of an eye of a storm. You do well, to remember to keep it tampered. But, when the patience is let go, even for a moment, the storm can be revealed as something dangerous. It's a beautiful balance."

Iori wracked his brains before the woman disappeared, leaving a small bag behind her. He bent to pick it up, tucking it into his belt and retreating back to his campsite and the fire that lay dying there.

***

Hikari watched the man as she circled in the forest, pausing to get a better look at his campsite. She moved only when she heard a branch crack, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the figure in the distance. She moved towards him, nodding.

"Assessment?"

"He passes," Hikari replied, meeting the blue eyes of the man that had appeared. "Even Tailmon agreed with the assessment. He will be a strong one, if he can learn to tap into the potential lurking under his skin."

"And your feelings on the matter?"

Hikari bristled as she saw the teasing in her companion's gaze, stepping forward and stomping her foot on his. He yelped, jumping back and looking at her with wide eyes. She gave him a serene smile, turning and beginning to walk towards home.

"He will do fine."

"Be careful with who you give your heart to, Hikari."

"Takeru, I am well aware of the situation that we are in. He as been assessed, nothing more."

"Of course."

***

Hikari let out a breath of excitement as she watched Iori perform the dance. Everyone was there, the eleven of them watching, silent in their own thoughts. Her gaze scanned the circle, catching sight of Takeru watching her rather than him. She dropped her gaze, staring at the ground in thought.

It had been months since Iori had joined their group. Months for him to prepare for the final rial. She felt her heart pick up a beat, watching him hinge on the final movement before he slid through it with ease, coming to a rest. She could see the others nod, passing their judgement.

***

Hikari set a bowl before Iori, the pair in the same clearing they had first met, so many years ago. She knelt next to him, Iori opening his eyes and turning to look at her.

"Well met."

Hikari smiled, flicking hair over her shoulder as Iori nodded in agreement. She watched as he reached out, taking the bowl and she moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder. The pair sat, Iori drinking while Hikari looked upwards.

"They're going to ask you to leave."

Iori glanced at her, caught off guard by the words. He finished the drink, setting it to the side and clearing his throat. "Why?"

"Because of me." Her shoulders slump as she spoke. He nodded, leaning over and kissing her hair.

"Come with me."

She frowned at the question, weighing it. "But... my life is here...?" she trailed off, letting the question hang in the air.

"I came here, looking for something new. I think you'd do well, out there."

Hikari considered it, nodding. "I'll come with you." The pair smiled at each other, truly smiled, before she leaned over, kissing him. The forest rustled around them, each enjoying the moment of serenity that was offered to them.


	43. Hikari/Iori(Happy/Sappy)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit more serious, than sappy/happy, but I still feels like it falls into the Sappy/Happy, so enjoy.

Hikari sat, perched on the edge of the chair while she watched the video, a sad smile crossing her features as she watched the figure on the tv.

It was late at night, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as the news replayed the events of the evening past. She twisted the ring on her finger, watching it play out, the splay of blood before it quickly cut out. She closed her eyes, dropping her hand to the cat that was sleeping on the chair.

"Iori..." she closed her eyes as she listened to the report, her body feeling heavy.

She had meant to go to the meeting, but she had lost track of time. She should have been there, with the other chosen children.

She slumped into the main portion of the chair, listening to Tailmon's breathing. The digimon opened her eyes, turning to look up at Hikari before nuzzling against her.

"He'll be fine." The digimon closed her eyes, listening to Hikari's uneven breathing. It had been so long since she had seen her partner so unsettled.

Hikari shook her head when Tailmon spoke. "I know, I was supposed to be there. At least, if I were there, I would know what's going on."

Tailmon let out a hum. "They agreed that it would not be good for your health to go."

She grimaced as the digimon pulled out her husband and brother's concern of the sickness that had put her down for more than two weeks. It had been too soon since she recovered, not that it mattered now. Her head whipped up when she heard the lock in the door slide open, the woman jumping out of the chair, Tailmon already moving next to her.

There was a bang as she threw the door open, it having been pushed more gently from the other side. She met the gaze of Iori, throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug, hearing a sleepy protest of Upamon between them.

"Is anyone hurt?"

Iori shook his head, giving her a moment before he stepped back. "Three dead, none of them ours."

Hikari nodded, dropping her hands to look Iori over. "And you couldn't get a call in to me?"

He shook his head. "I tried, but they had communications down. The media is unaware that the situation has been handled. The digimon came through and aided us."

The pieces clicked together, Hikari nodding. Even now, digimon were a sore spot for the people at large. Many questioned their presence in their world. After ten years, it had hardly lessened in the degree of hate people heaped upon them.

"Media sensored," she guessed.

"And Andromon knocked out all of the security footage."

"Who got shot?"

Iori grimaced at the question. "Taichi was shot, but it was a graze and Jou-san was able to patch it up. It was then that Andromon cut the footage access, leaving the outside to wonder..."

"If you were dead?" Hikari supplied.

Iori sighed, "yes, that."

"Don't do it again," she warned. "Or, you get to stay home and worry while I go out and do dangerous things."

Iori opened his mouth to protest, watching the fire in Hikari's eyes as he agreed with a nod. "You do the dangerous things, I'll stay back and worry," he agreed.

"I'm glad you're safe." Hikari hugged him once more, the pair soon retreating into their apartment and locking the door behind them.


	44. Takeru/Daisuke/Ken(Funny)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you try to talk with your brother, but he doesn't understand.

"I'm sorry, will you tell me that again?"

Takeru frowned at the phone, pulling it away from his ear as he stretched. A summer breeze was blowing, taking the stickiness of heat away from him.

"You heard me just fine, Yamato." He put the phone against his ear again, rolling his eyes. "What point did you not get?"

"You're dating Daisuke."

"Yes."

"You're also dating Ken."

"Yes?"

"You guys have some poly dating going on, in which you're all dating each other."

Takeru frowned, letting out a sigh. "Yes?"

"Ichijouji Ken, school genious. And Motomiya Daisuke, who wouldn't say your name right for two years cause he thought you were in love with Hikari?"

"Yes. You know our mutual friends well."

"What I don't understand-" Yamato began, Takeru closing his eyes and proceeding to stick his tongue out at Patamon as the digimon sat down in front of him.

"Yamato?" Takeru blinked when he realized his brother had gone silent, frowning into the distance.

"Those... sleepovers you had when mom wasn't home?"

"Yeah....?" Takeru asked, raising an eyebrow at his digimon partner.

"You didn't..."

"We did."

"Gross."

"Look, I never asked why you had a tape of you and Taichi having sex-"

"What the fuck?"

"You left it pulled up on the computer. I was bored. Your porn choices suck, by the way. I can probably get you better selections if you want."

"Takeru?"

"Yes?"

"Have I ever told you I absolutely hate you sometimes?"

"Yamato?"

"....yes?"

"Don't leave your porn choices up for the world to see."

"It's my private computer!"

"Don't let your teenage brother use your _private_ computer. My god, the love songs about Taichi were just as bad. You tried comparing him to football, Yamato, football."

"We are not having a conversation about my sexual relationships with Taichi. We were talking about you."

"Yep."

"You did that on purpose."

"Of course!"

"So... you tell anyone else yet?"

"Nope."

"You plan to?"

"You know, we thought you would have figured it out on your own."

"Wait... how long have you two been dating?"

"Five years, now? Daisuke and Ken were dating from the time they were thirteen and I joined in when we were fifteen so... You seriously didn't realize it?"

"I don't think anyone will see this coming."

"Hikari knows."

"How long has she known?"

"Since... we started dating?"

"Fuck."

"So, anyway, the wedding is going to be next month, September first. You able to come?"

Takeru frowned as he listened to a scrambling, Yamato yelling for Taichi and he let out a sigh, wondering why he agreed to be the ones to tell their friends they were getting married.

Or, at least have a ceremony to celebrate a union of families.

"You still there?" he asked.

"Yeah." Yamato responded.

"Good, cause we're also adopting a child that weekend. The little girl we've been fostering, Mia... Yamato...?" Takeru pulled the phone away from his ear as he heard the dial tone, letting out a sigh and pulling up Mimi's contact number to begin the process once more.


	45. Takeru/Daisuke/Ken(Serious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every time they see the scene, they try to change it. It never seems to work, no matter what they try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning time!
> 
> TW: Suicide, death, cutting, mental delusions

The ceiling fan whirled over head, the blond staring at it and tracing the slow movements with his eyes. He held a knife loosely in his hand, the heat making it hard for him to focus.

There was the dull throbbing in his leg, the blood congealing as he made no move to clean it up. He only moved when there was a knock at the door, pushing himself up and throwing on a pair of pajama pants to hide the mess. The knife disappeared under the mattress and he threw a blanket over the sheets, making a mental note to clean it up later.

He headed out of the small bedroom, shutting the door behind him, and stepped into the brightness of the rest of the home. It was an easy walk to the front door and he opened it with a smile.

"Hey Ken, just in time!"

"Oh, is Daisuke not here yet?" Ken tucked a strand of hair behind his ear as he stepped past Takeru, the man shaking his head.

"He's running late."

"Ah."

Takeru made his way to the kitchen, pulling down three glasses and turning to Ken. "Do you want to open the bottle of wine now, or wait until Dai is here?"

Ken weighed the options, shaking his head. "Let's wait, I'm sure he's bringing the dessert. How have you been?"

Takeru picked up one of the glasses, turning it this way and that to examine it in the light. "Some days are better than others." He set the glass back down, hearing the _chink_ it made like a gunshot.

"And today?"

Takeru sighed. "There have been better days this week."

"Is that why you're only in pajama pants?"

The blond looked down at his attire, offering Ken a sheepish grin. "I guess I forgot about that." He headed towards the second bedroom, ducking inside and changing into something nicer. He pulled on the pants, turning his head when there was a knock.

"I'll get it," Ken called.

Takeru finished getting dressed, running his fingers through his hair before backtracking into the kitchen.

"'Keru!" Daisuke waved, holding a box tucked to his side. He followed Ken to the kitchen, placing the cake on the counter and looking up at Takeru. The blond smiled, turning his back on the pair and pulling out the bottle of wine.

"How are you, Daisuke?" Takeru asked the question with his back still turned, counting the seconds before he turned and looked at his parnter.

Daisuke's shoulders were half raised in a shrug, the man considering the question. "The restuarant is going well, can't complain there. Was lucky to get the day off, I looked forward to this." He winked at Takeru as he poured out the wine.

Takeru set the half full bottle on the counter, sliding the glasses over to Ken and Daisuke. The pair picked them up, Daisuke examining the contents against the light.

"And how is Ken?" he asked, turning his gaze to look at their partner.

"Work has been going well. I've been given a high end case, regarding the disappearance of several children throughout the city. Ages ten to twelve, vanished after playing games. They think it's a simple kidnapping from home deal, but..." he hesitated, his gaze darting between Takeru and Daisuke.

"Digital activity?" Takeru inquired, sliding over the topic with a practiced ease.

Ken nodded in agreement. "Parents were home at the time of the alleged kidnapping. No signs of forced entry, the kid just... vanished."

Daisuke let out out a low breath, the three of them exchanging glances.

"And how are you, Takeru?"

Takeru met Daisuke's gaze, tipping his glass of wine towards the dark haired man with a smile. "I've been better."

"Five years, huh?"

Takeru nodded, swallowing and sliding his gaze away, staring down at his cup before he took a drink of the wine. "Ugh, who wants rum instead?"

"It's too early to start doing shots. It's not even noon," Ken reminded him.

"I'll take rum," Daisuke pipped up.

"Children..." Ken scoffed, downing his own wine. "Rum as well, please."

It was quiet as Takeru fetched the rum and a bottle of coke, making the drinks mindlessly. He used the same wine glasses, sliding Ken and Daisuke their drink before making his own. It was quiet as the three men contemplated, Takeru's gaze flicking to Ken's face and then to Daisuke's.

"Has there been any new information, Daisuke?"

Daisuke shook his head at the question. "You know I would tell you right away, 'Keru."

"I can still ask, Dai." Takeru met Daisuke's gaze, the pair locking eyes. Daisuke glanced away first, setting the cup down and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Let's go out for drinks tonight."

"Years as a bar tender makes me way more qualified to mix drinks. I'm better at it." Takeru set his glass down as he spoke, Ken letting out a sigh.

"Can we just have the cake? I have something to share with you, on the matter at hand."

Takeru's gaze skittered to Ken when he spoke, the man walking around the island and wrapping his arm around Takeru's waist. Daisuke was already fetching a knife, Ken resting his head on Takeru's shoulder.

"Ah, but if we're going out for drinks, it means you don't have to worry about being sober enough to mix them properly and you can have fun." Daisuke fetched a knife from the block, pulling the cake close to him.

"Mixing drinks drunk is an art in and of itself," Takeru protested.

Daisuke stuck his tongue out at Takeru, cutting the cake and using napkins to push the slices towards Ken and Takeru. Ken picked up a fork and used his free hand to eat, Takeru doing the same as Daisuke leaned against the counter.

"So, what do you have to share, Ken?"

The man's gaze darted upwards as he heard the question, meeting Diasuke's gaze. "At each of the alleged kidnappings, there has been a note left behind."

"A note?"

Ken nodded, finishing his cake before he continued. "There have been four so far, for each of the kidnappings. 'Courage replaced', 'Friendship shattered', 'love lorn', and 'sincerity tarnished'. So far, it's been two boys and two girls who have disappeared."

Takeru bit down hard on his fork as Ken spoke, the man glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. His fingers dug into Takeru's waist, the man shaking his head as he removed the fork and set it down on the counter.

"When I dealt with digital activity, we were assigned crests. It had been the qualities that we showed the most, when the digimon entered our world. Was there any markings at the scenes?"

Ken pulled away from Takeru, digging into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He brought up the pictures he had taken, brows furrowed. "Something like... this?"

He turned the phone to Takeru, showing him the crest of Friendship, burned into the wall.

The blond nodded, reaching a hand up and zooming the photo in to pick out the details. "You found this at the house with the note about friendship, right?"

"Yeah... Takeru, what do you know about the digital activity?"

Takeru looked up when he heard Daisuke's question, tipping his head to the side as the man pressed his hands on the counter in front of him.

"You know what I went through with digital activity when I was younger." Takeru crossed his arms over his chest, meeting Daisuke's gaze.

"Yeah, you were one of the first to deal with it, that much you've told us. But... if you can tell us anything else...?" Ken turned to his partner, worry in his eyes.

Takeru drew away from them, his gaze guarded as he weighed the topic at hand. He turned to the cabinet, reaching out and shuffling the drinks to the side before he found what he was looking for. He pulled the bottle down, talking back over to his cup and finishing the rest of rum and coke.

"Digital activity... there wasn't a lot known about it, fifteen years ago. When I was eleven... My brother was fourteen, along with Taichi, Sora, and Mimi. Hikari was... fuck, eleven as well. Jou was fifteen and Koushiro was thirteen." Takeru poured himself a measure of the bottle, setting it down and taking it all down in one large swig with a grimace. Daisuke reached out, tipping the bottle towards him to get a better understanding of what Takeru was drinking.

"There still isn't a lot on the subject," he said as he put the bottle back down.

"Now, you have the safe points to get into the digital world, as it's been called. Back then, you were taken without notice. Even with the safe points now, there is very little chance that you'll come back alive. We can pull people out of digital activity before they die, but..." Takeru shrugged as he pictured the backdoor scene of the digital activity that he had seen in several bars. "You meet these creatures, called digital monsters or digimon for short. If you get lucky, they'll partner with you and help you survive until you reach an exit door that is built in. We... didn't get so lucky."

"They died."

Takeru nodded, feeling Ken press up against him once more as Daisuke cut him another piece of cake.

"I was able to find a natural doorway and get home. It was myself and one other that managed to escape. I lost track of her over the years. Her name is Yagami Hikari." Takeru paused, grimacing as he grabbed the bottle and took a swig straight from it.

Ken reached up, taking it from him and setting it out of his reach.

"I still have nightmares of the place. The others... they... they died, making sure we got through. Mimi was the first to die. Then it was Koushiro, Jou, Sora, and... Yamato and Taichi defended us until we got through the door. I don't- I don't know if they lived or not."

The years of anger and bitterness had worn him down. He pressed against Ken, feeling him loop an arm over his shoulder.

"We're here for you."

Takeru closed his eyes, feeling Daisuke move to his other side and join them in the hug.

The days cycled like this, the trio moving at a petty pace, day to day. Always stepping closer to the truth, always offering quiet support. It was easy.

It wasn't easy when Daisuke and Ken had to face the reality of finding Takeru swinging from the rafters.

But they could still try, with the small parts of digital activity, to recreate the life they had. Every day, over and over. Looking for a way to prevent it. But it always came up, it always left them with a bitter feeling, cause the next day would be the one where it ended and they would have to start again.


	46. Takeru/Daisuke/Ken(Happy/Sappy)

"Will any of the misses be joining you gentlemen this evening?"

The three men looked at each other, Daisuke letting his gaze drift away and shaking his head.

"Uh, no misses joining us," Ken replied. "Just a table for three, please."

The waiter nodded, leading the trio of men towards a table in back. The trio sat, Ken placing his hands on the table as Daisuke covered hims mouth to stop himself from laughing.

"Honestly, don't you two know how to behave before the misses get here?" Takeru arched an eyebrow even as he spoke, struggling to keep a straight face as Daisuke grinned at him.

"It's the same thing every year, you think they'd understand by now." Ken sighed, picking up the menu and only giving it quick glance before setting it to the side.

"We only see them once a year," Daisuke grinned, looking at his own menu. Takeru watched the two, a smile on his face.

"So, when did we tell our friends that we're planning a commitment ceremony?"

"Thank you for volunteering Takeru, that's so sweet of you." Ken leaned over, kissing the blond on the cheek. He blinked, surprised before he frowned.

"That is not what I asked."

"Ah, but you asked first, so you have inherited the task."

"Guys, we've been planning the ceremony for nearly a year now, it's next month. You haven't... told anyone yet?" Daisuke raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the two, Takeru tapping his chin in thought.

"I suppose it slipped my mind," he admitted.

"I was waiting until one of you two remembered that we had to inform them. Ah, yes, may we get a bottle of the red?" Ken asked, turning his attention to the waiter.

"No, wait, I thought you already told them!" Daisuke stared at the pair, Takeru reaching over and patting his shoulder.

"We'll figure it out." He promised. "I'll make the calls today. It's only... nine people."

"I trust you two to be able to do this." Ken smiled, his gaze darting over Daisuke and Takeru. "Thank you for volunteering, Takeru."

"I had the catering worked out for months. How did you forget-" Daisuke cut himself off, shaking his head. "you know what, I'm going to enjoy the wine and just not worry about it."

"That's the spirit, enjoy the nice and look forward to what's planned." Ken winked Takeru smiling despite the mounting horror that he felt at the fact he had to tell their nine closest friends that the three of them were getting the closest thing to married that they were happy with.

It was the joys that they would have to work out soon enough.


	47. Hikari/Kouichi(Serious)Time Warp Pt 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She fell through to the other world, expecting to find her brother. Instead, she finds her partner and a person calling to her at she doesn't know, but who knows her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBH, i feel like this is more universe warp than time warp, but whatever. Still haven't seen more than like, ten minutes of a Frontier episode so, I probably butchered the characters? Sorry about that...
> 
> Run down if you don't want to read the Yamato/Kouji one this is related to: Digital world fucked up and sent people to the wrong universe. oops, it happens.
> 
> Continuation of the Kouji/Yamato time warp. Not as focused on the Kouichi/Hikari pairing, but yeah.... that was.... it got a bit out of hand. And then left on a cliff hanger? I don't know, I may do more in this universe.

The eight year old tumbled to the ground, reaching out to cushion her fall as Tailmon landed on her feet, claws raised in preparation to fight. The pair had been in the digital world, just moments ago. She had been ready to take the trolley home, but now...

"Are we... home?" Hikari picked herself up, catching the sight of Tailmon. "I don't see anyone else."

"We're not in the digital world anymore." Tailmon sniffed the air, lowering her raised hands as the pair looked around the park. Hikari jerked her head up when she heard her name, watching a young woman -who was not her mother- wave at her.

"We're going to have to head home soon, Hikari. Say bye to your friend and let them know you can come back later."

The digimon and human exchanged a glance, Tailmon's ears laying flat as the woman waved at them again, this time seeming agitated.

"See if you can find the others, I'll go with her." Hikari hurried over to the light haired woman, greeting her with a smile. She reached out, resting a hand on Hikari's shoulder and drawing her away from the park, Tailmon following close enough to find where her partner would be staying.

*Eight Years Later*

Hikari stared down at the book in front of her, reaching up to turn a page. She tipped her head and looked to the side, hair falling in her face as she heard a voice behind her.

"Takuya!"

The teenager at the table near Hikari looked up, a flash of irritation crossing his eyes before he saw the girl in pink standing in front of him, another teenager looking over his shoulder.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Izumi gestured towards the dark haired boy, a grin on her face as she placed her hands on Takuya's table again.

"Uh, hi?" the boy asked, fidgeting. Takuya raised a hand in greeting, his gaze sliding to Izumi.

"Hey Kouichi, how have you been?"

"Come on, aren't you the least bit impressed?" Izumi asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know, did you manage to find either Kouji or Junpei?"

Izumi snorted, shaking her head at Takuya's words.

"Not for lack of trying," she grumbled. "Can't find people who vanish into nothing, Kanbara. Have you been looking?"

The boy met the question with silence, Kouichi coughing and fidgeting.

"I just... moved into the area. I wasn't expecting such a warm reception. How have you two been?" Kouichi asked, Hikari turning her attention back to her book. She saw Tailmon twitch out of the corner of her eye, turning to look at her partner with a frown.

She reached out, touching the cat's head before pulling back, tucking hair out of her face and looking down at the book once more.

"Pretty okay, I'm captain of the football team this year." Takuya grinned, Izumi heaving a long sigh.

"I haven't given up on looking for either of them, ya know? Just, sometimes, you have to accept loses," she muttered under her breath, Hikari looking up to see the look of sadness cross across Kouichi's face. She turned, placing her book in her bag and moved to stand, slinging it over her shoulder. She picked up Tailmon, wrapping her arm around the digimon and heading towards the door.

"Yo, Yagami!"

She turned when she heard her name, meeting Takuya's gaze. "You coming to the football game this week?"

"Uhm... probably not, sorry!" She flashed them a smile. "I have research to work on."

She saw Izumi roll her eyes, the girl scoffing. "And what sort of research would that be?"

Hikari let out a mental sigh, glancing down at Tailmon before looking at Izumi. "Is that really any of your concern?"

"You're just a freak."

Hikari sighed, shrugging at the words. She saw Takuya and the new boy exchange a glance as she turned, walking out of the library.

***

"That was uncalled for," Takuya chided.

"She's been carrying around a stuffed animal for _years_ , Takuya." Izumi crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the boy.

"Have you guys ever asked her about it?" Kouichi asked, hands tucked into his pockets. He watched their exchange, feeling himself grow uncomfortable when Izumi looked at him. "She just seems lonely, something I'm sure you can identify with, Izumi."

The blond opened her mouth before closing it, looking away from the pair. Takuya shook his head, getting up from his seat. "Maybe you can try talking to her," he suggested, patting Kouichi on the shoulder. "It's good to see you."

"Yeah, same to you." Kouichi nodded, turning and heading down the hall of the school. He saw the girl duck into an empty room, following her curiously.

"-trust them."

"Hikari, they have the faint scent of digimon."

He froze when he heard the word, edging towards the partially opened door. He tipped his head, hoping to better understand the conversation.

"Orimoto thinks you're a toy. If they did go to the digital world, don't you think-"

"Someone's here."

Kouichi froze when he heard the voice, taking a step back from the door and making to turn away when the door opened, Hikari meeting his gaze. He saw the cat at her feet, ears pulled back.

"Uhm, sorry, I didn't mean-" he began.

"It's okay! You must be new. I'm Yagami Hikari, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The girl stuck out her hand, Kouichi looking from her to the cat, who was still glaring at him.

"I'm Kimura Kouichi." He took her hand, giving it a quick shake before the pair drew back.

"I can use Cat's Gaze on him, see if it'll make him forget this happened," Tailmon suggested, narrowing her eyes as Kouichi took a step back.

"Please don't!" He raised his hands as he spoke, glancing over his shoulder. The hallway was empty. He stepped forward, passing Hikari and stepping over the cat into the room. "You mentioned the digital world?"

"What do you know about it?" Hikari asked.

"Five years ago, myself and five others went to the digital world. Two of those people never returned. How do you know about it, the digital world? And who's that?" Kouichi's gaze slid down to Tailmon, the cat crossing her arms over her chest.

"I went there when I was eight, with my brother and six other children. Only, when I came back, I wasn't where I started." Hikari hesitated. "I've been called crazy for saying that before. This world isn't the one I was born into. And this," she gestured towards the cat, "is Tailmon. She's my partner."

"Partner?"

"Didn't you and your friends have partner digimon?" Tailmon asked, her tail twitching as she stared the boy down. "It seems like you know about the digital world."

Kouichi shook his head. "We used spirits that allowed us to evolve, into digimon. Will you tell me of your adventure?"

Hikari reached up, fiddling with the crest of light that hung around her neck. "If you'll tell me about yours. Who was the rest of your group?"

"You know Takuya and Izumi. There's Tomoki, but he's three years younger than us three. My brought Kouji and Junpei, who vanished upon them returning to this world." Kouichi glanced between Hikari and Tailmon, feeling their gazes on him. "We were assigned one of the ten great warrior spirits, in which we were able to fight the digimon that we needed to."

"My brother hatched an egg out of the computer, and it went on a rampage when I was four and he was seven. At the time, eight of us watched the digimon fight and our crests were selected based on the quality that we expressed the most of." Hikari smiled, Tailmon moving to sit. She closed her eyes, yawning and leaning against Hikari.

"And you all had digimon partners?"

"Yep! Tailmon is my partner's adult form. She was once a servent to Vamdemon, who we fought against in Tokyo. When we went back to the digital world, we had to fight against the Dark Masters. It was scary, but we managed to succeed. When we were headed home, something interrupted the trolley and I got separated and ended up here. It was like I had always existed here. The family I was with accepted me. There was even an older brother, but he had died as a baby, before my... pseudo parents had me, I suppose. I found it strange, at first. But, after a time, it was like it had always been. Tailmon is the only reason I remember there ever being another life." Hikari felt a tension leak out of her as she told the boy what she had been wanting to tell someone for so many years now.

"Izumi called Tailmon a stuffed toy... did you try to talk to them?" Kouichi watched as Hikari shook her head, glancing down at Tailmon.

"I got told I had an overactive imagination when I tried telling my parents about this _delusion_ that I came from somewhere else. I gave up on trying to explain it to anyone, after a while. It's easier for me to remember when I have Tailmon near me. And, because of an incident, the story got out at school when I was ten. It didn't look so great, so people started avoiding me. I was the delusional girl after all, with the overactive imagination. Izumi heard about it, when she first came here and latched on to it, I guess. Takuya was always nice, if a bit of a loud mouth."

"You say you showed up eight years ago... but we only went to the digital world five years ago."

"Can't explain that one." Hikari shrugged, her gaze drifting away from Kouichi. "I really do have to go home soon, though. Thank you for talking with me!"

"Of course, do you... could I tell the others you know about the digital world?" he asked.

"Sure, if you want. I don't mind." Hikari smiled, picking Tailmon up and walking out of the room. Kouichi watched her leave, heading out himself shortly after.

***

"Hey, Takuya!"

Kouichi leaned against the wall behind his bed, staring down at his work.

"Yo, Kouichi. What do I get the honor of you calling me about?"

"Actually, I took your suggestion and talked to Yagami yesterday. It was very beneficial. I think you and Izumi would get a lot out of a conversation with her."

"Uh huh... you know Izumi thinks she's crazy, right? Probably like bat shit insane, using one of the phrases she's used before in regards to Hikari."

"Have you tried talking to the cat?"

"The cat...? Did you hit your head again, Kouichi?"

Kouichi sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall. "She knows about the digital world, is what I'm trying to say."

"Knows about the-"

Kouichi waited a moment, letting the information sink in.

"Talk to the cat. Clever, very clever." Takuya sighed. "You know, I never got a chance to ask her about it. What's the story there?"

Kouichi launched into what Hikari had told him once he was sure that he had Takuya's attention. He finished up, leaning back with a grin as Takuya's silence continued.

"Do you think that's what happened to your brother?"

Kouichi hesitated before he nodded, clearing his throat. "Possibly."

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Huh?"

Takuya sighed. "You were the one that approached her. Do you plan on doing anything about the new found information that you have been given regarding this?"

Kouichi hesitated. "Well, I was thinking of actually becoming friends with her, you know? Not sure what else I could do with it."

"Well, your call. Maybe she's the key to getting him back."

Kouichi let his shoulders droop, his grip tightening on the phone. "I don't know about that. She may not be the same type of chosen as us, but she still is a chosen child. I think she belongs with our group."

"Your call, again. You're the one that has to tell Izumi though! Good luck, gotta go!"

Kouichi sighed as the call ended, closing his eyes and letting his thoughts drift.

***

Hikari glanced up when she heard footsteps, Tailmon stiffening next to her. They were sitting by themselves, most of the student population having left school for the day. She narrowed her eyes when she saw Izumi step into the library, the girl casting a glance around before looking at her phone in frustration.

"Stupid Takuya, he's not even here," she grumbled to herself, moving to sit at a table.

Hikari marked the page she was on for her research project, shutting the book and tucking it into her bag. She gathered up the rest of her materials, swinging the bag over her shoulder and picking up Tailmon. It was several quick steps to the door, Takura appearing at them and grinning.

He caught Hikari's shoulder as she moved to walk past him, the girl feeling a rumbling of a growl in Tailmon's chest.

"Yo, Izumi!" He waved, the girl looking up and rolling her eyes at him. "Give me one moment, okay?" He turned his attention back to Hikari, meeting his gaze before he looked down at Tailmon. "I was told to ask a certain cat if she's from the digital world."

"What a rude question," Hikari commented, shaking Takuya off. "I'm sure he suggested doing it with much more tact."

"Takuya, what are you doing?" Izumi demanded, standing up from her chair and glaring at the goggle wearing boy. He held his hands up, taking a step back.

"I have it on good word that Yagami knows about the digital world."

"And whose word would that be?" Izumi raised an eyebrow, Tailmon letting out a sigh.

"I would have thought that he wouldn't have moved so fast. He reminded me so much of Jou when he tried to talk to Mimi." Tailmon squirmed out of Hikari's arms, jumping on the floor as Izumi stared at her then to Hikari, then to Takuya.

"Ask the cat!" the boy grinned.

"I said talk to, not ask." Kouichi appeared from the doorway, glancing over his shoulder. "Tomoki was unable to come, he had a school project he had to finish up today."

"Well, we're all caught up then." Takuya turned, Tailmon meeting his gaze.

"Can I punch him?" The digimon asked, tail lashing as she narrowed her eyes.

"No, you cannot."

"Even if he has that kind of face?" Tailmon looked up, Hikari meeting her gaze and raising an eyebrow.

"No."

Tailmon let out a defeated sigh, her gaze quickly glancing around the three before landing on Izumi. The girl met the gaze of the cat, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Izumi asked.

"You owe Hikari an apology."

Hikari shook her head, glancing at Izumi. "Really, it's okay, Tailmon. I promise!"

It was several minutes and Hikari repeating much of the same conversation that she had with Kouichi a few days prior, Izumi and Takuya listening with quiet attention. Izumi glanced to the side, letting out a sigh.

"I'm sorry for calling you crazy."

"I told you, it's fine! I'm used to it anyway," Hikari said with a smile, feeling the uncomfortable weight of Izumi's gaze. "Actually, it's quite funny. Koushiro's last name is Izumi. I got it confused for the first couple of months you were here."

Izumi shifted, Kouichi relaxing as he felt the tension leak out of the air.

***

"Kouichi!"

Hikari waved as she saw the teenager glance from side to side, moving to stand from her seat before he spotted her. He ducked slightly, weaving his way around the patrons of the restaurant and moving to join Hikari at the table.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, running his hands through his hair, nerves nearly fried.

Hikari shook her head, smiling at him. "Not late at all, I thought I was early. It works out fine. How are you doing tonight? It's been a while since I've seen you. The message you sent seemed important."

"Oh, well, I er..." Kouichi fidgeted as he tried to come up with words for what he wanted to say. He looked across the way, Hikari taking a sip of her drink as she waited. "Well, yes, would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sure! I would love to." Hikari smiled at him, moving to stand from her seat and walking around the table to sit next to him. "How long have you been trying to ask?"

Kouichi shrugged, his gaze sliding from her to the people across the way, each of them easing into the conversation.

***

Kouichi stretched, looking up at the sky as he heard the breathing of the person next to him, a rustling in the leaves causing him to sit up. The rustling grew louder and he saw Tailmon stalked towards the noise, her ears pulled back. He moved to stand as there was another crash, seeing Hikari stir and pull the blanket tighter around her.

There was a snarl from Tailmon, the cat digimon pouncing on the thing coming through-

"Hey, no! Bad cat!" A blond haired man came running after what looked like a pig with wings tacked to the side of his head, brandishing a stick at Tailmon.

"Cat's-"

"Tailmon?"

Tailmon squinted as she looked down, jumping off the orange and white pig.

"Patamon?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. The digimon glanced over his shoulder as the blond man dropped the point of his stick towards the ground, glancing from Kouichi to the woman who was now sitting up, holding a rock in her hand.

"Takeru?" she asked.

"Hikari!"

Kouichi sat back down, watching the reunion with a feeling of dread filling him.


	48. Hikari/Kouichi(Funny) Time Warp Pt 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after they started dating in Pt 3

Hikari placed her hands on the desk, watching as the dark haired boy stared at the writing in front of him. It was several minutes before he looked up, catching her gaze and blinking in an owlish look of surprise.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, setting his pen down.

"You were supposed to come out this afternoon, but no one could find you. So, Tailmon went looking for you," Hikari explained, her gaze resting on Kouichi.

"What were we supposed to be doing?"

Hikari sighed, leaning across the desk and taking Kouichi's hand in her's. "Get your head out of the books and go outside."

He stared at her, but allowed her to tug him out of the room, towards the main door of the school. It was several minutes before they reached a clearing, Hikari dropping his hand and placing hers behind her back.

"Go on through then."

He gave her a wary look, realizing just how strange of a turn his life had taken since he had befriended and started dating the chosen kid from another universe. He jumped when something cold hit him, looking down in time to see the splatter of wetness on his shirt. His gaze dragged back upwards, Takuya holding a water balloon in one hand.

"You're late to the fight!" he called, leaning his arm back and throwing the water balloon. This time, Kouichi managed to dodge, Takuya ending up with a face full of water from Hikari, who was holding a water gun. She glanced at Kouichi, moving to toss it to him.

It was several minutes before the water fight slowed down, Hikari dropping to where Kouichi had flopped to the ground in surrender, Takuya moving along to find where Izumi had gotten off to.

"Happy birthday."

Kouichi looked up when Hikari spoke, fiddling with something small in her hands. "I know it's not much, but I thought..." she hesitated, meeting his gaze. "Your brother, he had the Spirits of Light, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And he never came back."

Kouichi shook his head, looking down at the small box in her hands. She smiled, holding it out to him.

"It's not the same, but I want you to know that I'm always here for you, Kouichi."

He took the box, pulling off the lid and staring at the item inside, looking up from the Crest of Light to Hikari. "Don't you.. need this?"

"No, Tailmon can evolve without it here. I want you to have it, to remember that darkness needs the light. And that light needs the darkness. We can't exist without each other." The seventeen year old spoke with a confidence in her voice, Kouichi leaning up and kissing her upon setting the box to the side.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"Love you, Kouichi."

He yelped, startled as a water balloon hit him square in the back, seeing a fierceness flash through Hikari's eyes as she heard Takuya's laughter. She gave him one more, quick, kiss but pushing herself up and _running_ after Takuya, refilled water gun in hand.

Kouichi sighed, watching the pain before he picked up the Crest of Light, pulling it around his neck with a smile.

It would be okay.


	49. Hikari/Kouichi(Sappy/Happy) Time Warp Pt 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In 48 chapters, I haven't done a wedding chapter.
> 
> So, here ya go!

Hikari paced in the small room, her gaze sliding to where Takeru was perched on a chair.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep on doing that," he pointed out.

Hikari turned on him, narrowing her eyes. "He's-"

"Going to be here?" Takeru offered. "You know Takuya, he's the unreliable one of the group."

The pair paused as Izumi burst into the room, slamming the door shut with her foot. She dumped her supplies onto the table, Hikari eyeing it nervously.

"You're putting too much thought into this, Izumi," she tried, hearing Tailmon snort from the chair she and Patamon were sleeping and perched on respectively.

"Everyone needs wonderfully done make-up when they get married, Yagami. You can't argue with me on this." Izumi brandished her tube of mascara at Hikari. "Besides, Takuya's running late and it gives me just enough time to look at what I'm working with."

Hikari heard Takeru's giggle, turning to glare at him. "You planned this."

He raised his hands up, at least having the decency to look guilty as she glowered. "We got here early, your clock was set an hour ahead so Izumi would have time to do your make-up before the wedding."

"Tailmon-" Hikari began.

"No," the digimon yawned, sitting up and blinking at her partner. "I'm not getting into a fight with Takeru on your wedding day."

"Yeah, I could probably take you!" Takeru said with a grin.

"Only if you had HolyAngemon's help." Hikari froze into place as Izumi placed a hand on her shoulder, a grim settling over her features.

"If you keep talking, you may get a brush into your eye and it will be all your fault, understand?"

"Yes."

Hikari heard Takeru's laugh get cut off as Tailmon landed on him, Patamon's own laughter covering up his partner's pretend pleas for help.

"I don't know what we would have done if we had to be partners with digimon," Izumi admitted, glancing over Hikari's shoulder to see the blond interact with the two digimon.

"I think you would have done just fine," Hikari responded, going still once more as Izumi moved a hand up to her cheek.

"Look, I really am sorry for everything that happened in school."

Hikari pulled away, long enough to look Izumi in the eye. "If I didn't think you were sorry for it, I would have never tried to be friends with you, Izumi. It's a lot that happened in a very short amount of time, for both our groups. It's understandable to react differently when you hear someone else has been through similar situations as you."

She let Izumi place a hand on her chin to steady her face once more, beginning to work on the make-up with a thoughtful expression. "Takuya placed a bet on you and Kouichi not lasting."

Hikari raised an eyebrow, lowering it when Izumi raised her own.

"I think you're good with him."

Hikari let the conversation falter while Izumi finished the make-up, moving to catch her in a hug once she was done. Izumi tensed before relaxing, returning the hug with a small sigh.

"I'm glad we were able to work things out."

"Will you let me do your hair, too?"

Hikari lifted a hand as she pulled away from Izumi, running her fingers through the lose hair. She felt over dressed, though the dress itself was simple. It was an a-cut, the sleeves coming down to Hikari's wrist, the dress flaring at the waist, giving her room to move. The Crest of Light was embroidered into the back, with slashes of purple around the hips to give a nod towards her partner.

Her mother in this world had insisted that it be something more, tradition, but Hikari and Takeru had worked on the design themselves, each coming up with several different ideas before settling on one that Hikari liked, with a nod towards their past.

"Sure!"

She turned her back to Izumi, the woman quickly grabbing a brush.

"So pretty!"

Takeru snapped a picture as Hikari smiled at him, moving to stand and get several different angles.

"Nervous yet?"

"I suppose the true test is how long Tailmon can hold Angewomon's form." Hikari winked at Takeru, the man nodding in agreement. After three more years, the digital world had opened a tentative connection. Though they never found the time they came from -and Hikari wouldn't have wanted to go back anyway- the others were able to reconnect with their spirits.

There had been a moment of confusion on their friends' parts when they learned that Tailmon and Patamon's Ultimate evolutions were Seraphimon and Ofanimon. That had been an interesting conversation to go over later.

"Is Angemon coming to the party?"

"Party?" Patamon asked, flapping over to Takeru's head. Hikari winced as Izumi pulled on her hair, tugging the strands into place.

"Wedding, the whole reason Hikari is dressed to the nines."

"I'm going to smack you." Hikari raised a hand, Takeru quickly taking a step back as she lowered it again.

"Oh, right. Do you want me to?"

"Let's not cause too much of a panic," Hikari decided, considering the possibilities. "I just want to get through the day."

"So you can have-"

Takeru didn't get the chance to finish the sentence before Hikari did smack him, Izumi letting go of her hair in time to avoid hurting her in the process.

"Please don't continue, or you won't like it," Hikari warned, Takeru rubbing his cheek but grinning.

"Worth it."

***

Kouichi watched the small gathering take their places as he stood in front of the people, his heart beating rapidly as the music started. It was soft, violins turning into a slow crescendo. It wasn't what he would have thought of as a traditional wedding, but he understood as Takuya tried his best to not slouch next to him.

It was a moment before he saw Angewomon walking in front, Takeru following with Patamon on his head, and Hikari following last. He felt his breath catch as he caught his fiance in the dress they had worked on for months over.

His breath caught, as she stepped next to him, winking at him. He looked at her, feeling the butterflies creep from his stomach to the rest of his body before mouthing to ask how she was holding up. She gave him a small shrug, shaking her head before the wedding proceeded, last a little under ten minutes for the ceremony.

It was quiet through the thing, Kouichi pulling Hikari into a kiss when it was time. He met her gaze, both of them in their own, little world.

They hurried out of the main building, stepping towards the dining room they had reserved. It was quiet for a few moments, the pair taking their place with Tailmon slinking after them.

"We leave for America tomorrow?"

She rested her head against his shoulder, eyes closed. "Yeah, Izumi promised to keep an eye on Tailmon while we're gone."

"I don't need her to keep an eye on me," Tailmon muttered, opening an eye to look up at her partner.

"I know," Hikari promised. "You look amazing, Kouichi." She reached up her free hand, touching the emblem of Darkness Takeru had embroidered onto Kouichi's suit, her eyes catching the chain of the Crest of Light he wore.

"Thank you."

He caught her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing her fingers lightly. She snuggled against him, feeling at peace with the life that had been brought to her.


	50. Taichi/Daisuke/Yamato (Serious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied Death, Implied injuries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not given up on this project, I swear. I'm just modifying it. Instead of writing three fics for each ship, I'm going to be writing on to two. Mainly cause writing three was starting to be overwhelming. And this is the rest of the list that I would like to complete before accepting new additions to the list. Of course, marking everything down to one or two, rather than three per a ship. And I may modify this list a bit, if I can't come up with anything for the ship.
> 
> Taichi/Jou/Yamato (0/3)  
> Taichi/Yamato/Daisuke(0/3)  
> Takeru/Iori (0/3)  
> Takeru/Miyako/Iori (0/3)  
> Takeru/Hikari/Daisuke/Ken (0/3)  
> Koushiro/Daisuke (0/3)  
> Koushiro/Sora (0/3)  
> Koushiro/Laptop (0/1)  
> Koushiro/Ken (0/3)  
> Koushiro/Jou (0/3)  
> Miyako/Mimi (0/3)  
> Mimi/Iori (0/3)  
> Jou/Daisuke (0/3)  
> Daisuke/Wallace (0/3)
> 
> So, with that in mind, enjoy!

When you had first heard about the new kids going to the digital world, you weren't certain you were okay with you. You were frustrated, as you stared at the enemies, helpless to evolve Agumon. The only thing that the pair of you could do was run, something that you hadn't thought of in a long time.

When you met the new kids, you were even less certain. You were familiar, at least in passing, with one Motomiya Daisuke. You weren't sure why you felt a sinking in your stomach when you passed along the goggles to him. Part of you wondered if you were doing a disservice to your sister, to your own blood. But you brushed the thought aside.

The kid had gathered the Digimental of Courage for himself, after all.

You watched, form the shadows, as the group grows stronger. The six children, the same as you were when you first went to the digital world. It hurts your heart to know that they are fighting a war. Behind you, Yamato watches. There's something about the way his hand touches your shoulder and you glance at him, meeting his gaze.

You lift a hand, resting it on his.

As the war drew on, you weren't sure who you were hoping to win. The Kaiser had points that you had never thought of. Your siblings come home, tired and exhausted. Nothing they do would ease the flow of the tide of war. They walked in the worlds of dreams, in a way that you had thought was lost.

But, you see it as Takeru grows distant, cold. Disappears more and more often. Daisuke is frantic, each time one of their key players -you don't think he ever told Takeru that, just pushed him away- disappeared. And, it's you and Yamato that comfort him when he doesn't come back.

That's when the war for the digital world takes a turn. They come back, more beaten, more bruised. Nothing they seem to do can stop the tide. You stand, in the apartment, watching as the tired and blood soaked Daisuke throws himself onto the couch, Hikari staggering after him. You and Yamato had moved in together, just keep give them a place to come home to.

Neither of you had heard from Takeru in months, and you could see the stress that Yamato held on to. It's that day, when Daisuke stumbles in by himself, that the pair of you wonder if it's worth it. If the war that is taking your friends down, would be worth winning.

You hold Daisuke in your arms as he stares into the distance, his eyes latched on to nothing. You let him stay the night, hold him as the nightmares try to force him to scream. It wasn't until the morning where you found out that the Kaiser had killed two of his teammates, with Takeru by his side.

The thought made you sick, and you and Yamato sword up and down that you would fight with Daisuke. Both of you found ways to reconnect, to evolve outside of the Kaiser's control. You could fight, and the Harmonious Ones let you access your evolutions up to Ultimate.

You weren't sure, really, when Daisuke became a permanent fixture between you and Yamato. You weren't sure when, after the final battle, that he had agreed to move in. The three of you started out rocky, when it was over. You were angry, disgruntled, heart broken.

So many of your friends had died, in a fight that should have never been yours. The there of you were the only ones to walk away. You needed each other, more than ever. And you were determined to make it work. To fit Daisuke and Yamato.

It's the knowledge that what you went through left more than just faded scars. It left behind bonds that you would never be able to shake. And it left a hole, that you try to fill in companionship, relationships, and friendships.

A hole that only grows smaller, but never truly fades.


	51. Taichi/Daisuke/Yamato (Sappy)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I try not to overwhelm with second person writing. But, this one and chapter fifty are connected, loosely.

You stretch across the table, slapping a card down. The two other players shifted, glancing at the cards before looking at their hands. It's late, the streets outside long since empty of any people. The three of you had been unable to sleep, resorting to cards to keep the nightmares at bay.

"Are you cheating again, Daisuke?"

You look up when the blond haired man speaks, flashing him a grin. Coy, you give a small shrug. "Isn't it hard to cheat at gold fish, Yama?"

Yamato narrows his eyes at you. "The fact that you told me you didn't have a king last round, but have a king this round?"

Taichi just sighs, setting his cards face down on the table. You glance at him, seeing the tiredness that lingers in his eyes.

"Daisuke has a shit poker face. If he lied, we would have known about it."

Even his voice seemed gravely and you wince. You wondered, more than once, if it was you that kept these from doing something better with their lives. The three of you made a strange trio. While no one knew you were gay, let alone in a relationship with two other guys, you wondered if there was something wrong about it.

"You two can go to bed, if you would like," you suggest. You're already gathering the cards that were left on the table, tapping the deck to straighten it out against the table. The shuffling comes with natural ease, something you had picked up while you were camping out there.

You hold your breath, waiting to see what the other two would do.

Taichi just looks at you, a smirk crossing his features. "Where did you learn to cheat at gold fish?"

You roll your eyes, dealing out the cards. It's easier to to focus on them, rather than on the implications of the question.

"Takeru."

It still hurt to say his name, as you set the rest of the un-dealt cards down and turned them into a pond to draw from.

"He always had a knack for picking up bad habits," Yamato says as he picks up his cards. You detect the faint hesitance in his words.

"You know, I hate this game."

It's several games later, Taichi setting his hand down and rubbing his eyes. He had lost all seven games you had played, while you had won five of them.

"Do you think they made a mistake?"

The question was out before you could hold it back. It had been burning at the back of your mind for the past two games. The wonder, as you traded cards back and forth, if you shouldn't have been there.

"A mistake?"

Suprisingly, it is Yamato that speaks first, Taichi still processing the question as you meet his gaze.

"Sure," you responded. There's the silence that ticks by, the clock in the kitchen sounding out one in the morning. The lot of you have to work in the morning, but you couldn't sleep. The question had been weighing you down and it feels like you can breathe again, now that you've spoken it. "Out of five people, I was... the only one that made it back. I let them die."

There's silence, as the words settle around us. Then, Taichi is standing, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"There was no mistake. We got lucky and made it out. Maybe, we could have saved the others. But... we weren't able to. We have to accept that sometimes, people don't always make it out of a war. Sometimes, they die. And those that live..."

"We have to continue living," Yamato finishes and they hug you, the warmth spreading through your body. You felt numb, until then. The fear still hung over your heart, but you think, just maybe, you could finally find some peace before work tomorrow.

The three of you tumble into bed, the cards laying forgotten as you soothe each other into sleep. It was messy, but all things that are worth having sometimes end up messy.

You wish you could trade some things, but you wouldn't want to forget them and this, no matter where you were.


End file.
